Heat to sign Shane Battier
The Miami Heat have landed one of their primary free-agent targets: small forward Shane Battier(notes).
Yahoo! Sports first reported Battier's intention to sign with the Heat. He later announced it on his Twitter account.
"The lockout gave me a lot of time to consider what was important to me at this stage of my life and career," Battier said. "Over the last week I've played out every scenario in my head over and over. It always came back to one thing for me: a winning role.
"…This was an exciting process, and after much deliberation, I would like to quote the great poet Jimmy Buffett and take my chances, 'Trying to Reason with Hurricane Season.' "
Battier, 33, was also being courted by the San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors. Battier played for the Grizzlies and Rockets last season, averaging 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds while making 38.2 percent of his 3-pointers.
A defensive specialist, Battier is intrigued by the opportunity to win his first NBA championship.
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