Big Game James Posey has signed a four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets worth $25 million. Here's what they're saying out in the ether about the move West ... 

Hornets 24/7: "Posey is a solid pickup. He'll slot nicely into the intense defense the second unit plays, and will be able to let both West and Peja get some nice minutes of rest. Honestly, that second unit is going to be very, very hard to score on with Armstrong, Posey, Wright and Pargo (assuming Pargo returns). That group already put up some of the best defensive numbers in the league, and Posey is a clever, tough defender. Offensively — he'll help a little bit. He's a lot like Bruce Bowen — tough defender who can drill the corner three. The second unit was pretty short on shooting, so having him on the floor will give Pargo a nice option on the drive and kick. Still, expect the beginning of the second and fourth quarters to be really ugly as our team shows intense defense and a sputtering offense."

CelticsBlog: "James ... Over the course of this year, you came to be one more embodiment (on a team that featured many) of not only what this squad was all about but also about what it means to play Celtics basketball: Selflessness. Defense. Blood, sweat, tears and guts-out basketball. Hustle. Heart. Toughness. Clutch play. Poise.  Ubuntu. Winning. You set the tone every game with the coolest and longest-lasting hugs of all time for each of the starters. You impressed us all season long with your throwback version of physical defense. The way you ragged opponents to the point of seemingly getting inside the jerseys of top scorers around the league was a sight to behold. The frustration on the faces of those scorers that brought so much glee to our evenings was largely due to your efforts on many occasions. ... Thanks for doing your part to make this such a special year for Celtics fans everywhere. Goodbye, Big Game James. You will be missed."

The Arena: "The iron is hot in New Orleans right now, with the post-Katrina exodus returning to the city in larger numbers and genuine enthusiasm for this team making Shinn’s dreams of staying in Oklahoma City hard to recall. Slipping from second to seventh in the West in the upcoming season would destroy a lot of that excitement, and because excitement moves needles and bolsters bottom lines in the form of TV revenue and season-ticket sales, Shinn would have been fool to make it seem like the Hornets were simply overachieving (which, frankly, they were, to some extent) this past season and still years off their track. Adding a veteran with a championship pedigree gives New Orleans at least the semblance of actual effort to win a title in the near future."

Celtics 17: "It is also going to take a while for me to get over the absence of the Posey pre-game routine of hugging the starters and giving them a message before stepping out for the tip-off. Ever wonder what he said? To me, that simple act, that physical embrace, embodied the spirit of Ubuntu for the Celtics."

Empty The Bench: Posey knows that selflessly focusing on his less flashy strengths has led to two rings already, so don’t expect him to cry if the Hornets don’t make him a focus of the offense — he’ll take his as it comes. And even if Posey is competing with Peja Stojakovic for outside shots, there should be plenty to go around with David West drawing doubles and the incomparable Chris Paul penetrating and dishing. Peja is an extremely poor defender and, when you consider he’s 6-10, a terrible rebounder. But with Peja’s strong offensive game, he and Posey could be perfect complements on the perimeter."

LA Lakers Blog: "In the sense that the Hornets are among their chief competition in the West and they just got better, this hurts the Lakers, but beyond that, I'm not really sweating it. I've always felt Posey is among the NBA's more underrated players and he could definitely help, but I'd also be leery about giving a 31-year-old role player (nearly 32 when the season starts) four seasons of commitment. A great deal for the Hornets in the short run, but two years from now, they may not be enamored with the acquisition. Plus, I never thought the Lakers would end up with Posey, so to a large degree, crying about "losing" him feels like mourning milk you never owned but keep picturing spilled. If you're a Sasha Vujacic fan, this can't possibly hurt the chances of getting him re-signed."

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