LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers signed free agent forward Stephen Jackson, the team announced Tuesday.
Jackson spent last season with the San Antonio Spurs where he averaged 6.2 points 2.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 19.5 minutes per game in 55 games for the Spurs. Jackson was waived by the Spurs on April 27 before the end of the season.
Injuries to J.J. Redick, Matt Barnes and Reggie Bullock over the past couple weeks forced the Clippers to look at options in the free agent market over the weekend and Jackson was the first name they targeted.
"I just think he's a veteran," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said on Monday. "We need him in a pinch. We need him like now and that's a guy that you can bring in and he can give you something right away with Reggie being out for at least this trip and maybe longer and Matt being out. We don't have another three right now and he fits that bill for us."
Bullock is expected to miss two weeks with a high left ankle sprain, Barnes is also expected to miss two weeks with a torn retina in his left eye and Redick suffered a fracture in the small bone of his right hand and a tear of his right ulnar collateral ligament is expected to miss six to eight weeks.
Jackson, 35, is a 13-year NBA veteran who has played with New Jersey, San Antonio, Atlanta, Indiana, Golden State, Charlotte and Milwaukee. Jackson has appeared in 849 career games with career averages of 15.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 32.1 minutes.
In addition to bringing toughness to the squad, Jackson becomes the first player on the current Clippers roster to have won an NBA title. Jackson was a member of the 2003 NBA champion Spurs and has appeared in 72 career playoff games, averaging 13.9 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 33.6 minutes per game.
