The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent guard William “Smush” Parker. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.
Parker appeared in nine games for the Miami Heat in 2007-08, averaging 4.8 points, 1.7 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game before he was waived by the Heat on March 10. Parker has played in 255 career NBA games and has career averages of 9.2 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds per game.
The former Fordham University star joins the Clippers after appearing in all 82 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005-06 and 2006-07. A four-year NBA veteran, Parker has had stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers (66 games in 2002-03), Detroit Pistons (11 games in 2004-05), Phoenix Suns (5 games in 2004-05) and Lakers (164 games in 2005-2007).
Parker was not drafted in the 2002 NBA Draft after leaving Fordham University following his sophomore year. The Newark, New Jersey native originally signed with Cleveland in 2002-03, and also played with Aris Thessaloniki in the FIBA Europe League before splitting the 2004-05 campaign with Detroit and Phoenix. The Lakers signed Parker prior to 2005-06, and he proceeded to enjoy his finest season, becoming the only Lakers player to start all 82 games while averaging 11.5 points and 3.7 assists, and finishing ninth in the NBA in total steals (140). The next year Parker started 80 of 82 games for the Lakers, averaging 11.1 points and 2.8 assists while ranking eighth in the NBA in steals-to-turnovers ratio (0.78).
