Cleveland Cavaliers roster news indicated that veteran forward Shawn Marion officially signed a one-year deal to join LeBron James in his chase for a fourth championship in the NBA.
Cavaliers general manager David Griffin announced the deal on Tuesday, saying that Marion would play a big role in Cleveland mainly because of his championship experience and defensive prowess.
"Shawn brings great versatility, talent and championship experience to the team," Griffin said in a Cleveland Cavaliers roster news update. "He will impact both ends of the floor and his ability to guard multiple positions will be particularly important for us. Shawn is accomplished, high-caliber veteran that will help with leadership on and off the court."
Marion, who averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds with the Dallas Mavericks last season, is expected to come off the bench for the Cavaliers next season along with new recruits Mike Miller and James Jones to provide support to James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving.
The 36-year-old forward also received offers elsewhere, including from the Indiana Pacers, but the 14-year-veteran said that the chance to win a championship next season urged him to sign with the Cavaliers.
"I'm excited to be a Cavalier," Marion said. "I can see the hunger and mentality of everyone in the organization and l look forward to being a part of it. The goal is to win a championship and that's what I want."
Aside from Marion, the Cavaliers are also expected to acquire Ray Allen this season, but the Chicago Bulls have reportedly joined the race to sign the sweet-shooting guard.
According to ESPN Chicago, the Bulls have reached out to Allen's representatives about the veteran guard's interest in playing alongside Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol next season.
Sources said that the Bulls believe that they have a good chance of winning the race to sign the three-point specialist because of his relationship with coach Tim Thibodeau, who was an assistant coach with Boston Celtics when Allen won a championship in 2008.
However, a Cleveland Cavaliers roster news on Hoops Rumors indicated that the Cavs are still the favorite to sign Allen, who averaged 18.9 points to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his first 18 seasons in the league.
