At just 28 years of age, Antonio Daniels has already gotten a good taste of the Pacific Northwest. He spent his rookie season in the NBA with the Vancouver Grizzlies as the Grizzlies’ fourth pick of the 1997 Draft, shooting 41.6% from the field in 74 games and 50 starts before the Grizzlies decided he was not their future starter at the point, dumping Daniels on the San Antonio Spurs just a year after taking him in the lottery. He returned north from the Spurs last season, playing 67 games with the Portland Trail Blazers but averaging just 13 minutes per game, lost in a deep Blazers backcourt.

Third time’s the charm?

Daniels saw limited playing time in Portland, but played well when he got the chance. Darren Povero/NBAE/Getty

Daniels completed his tour of the northern portion of I-5 Saturday, when he agreed to terms on a three-year deal with the Seattle SuperSonics to be the team’s primary reserve guard. Even before losing backup point guard Kevin Ollie to the Cleveland Cavaliers last week, the Sonics had identified the athletic Daniels as a potential replacement. “It was somebody that (Sonics Coach) Nate (McMillan) had liked,” General Manager Rick Sund said at a press conference held Saturday to announce the signing. “We had to recruit him because there were several other suitors, but it worked out pretty well.” The Orlando Magic were believed to be Daniels’ other main suitor, but could not make him a competitive offer after using their mid-level salary exception to sign free agent forward Juwan Howard last week. Sund confirmed that the Sonics used part of their mid-level exception to sign Daniels.

By adding Daniels to a guard group that already boasted All-Star Ray Allen and Brent Barry, as well as first-round pick Luke Ridnour and second-year player Ronald Murray, who dominated summer-league action, the Sonics now believe they have one of the deepest backcourts in the NBA. “We’re in a situation where I think the best way to describe it is we have a lot of balance,” Sund explained. “You have Ray, who’s obviously one of the great shooters and scorers. You have Brent, who’s a terrific shooter but not a great athlete – multi-positional player. You’ve got Luke, who’s predominantly a point guard. And now you’ve got Antonio, who’s a point guard who can also play some two, but also does a great job of pressuring the ball, which is something that Nate wants to do. Then Ronald Murray, quite frankly, has impressed us very much in the summer league with his scoring ability and the fact that he can play a couple of positions.”

Daniels seemed genuinely excited to join the Sonics for reasons both on and off the court. While his limited role would seem to be the obvious reason he laughed when asked to describe his year in Portland, he explained that his biggest problem was off the court. “It was a little different,” Daniels settled on as his choice of words, “coming from San Antonio, who are known as the good guys of the NBA, to Portland, who are known as the bad guys of the NBA.”

By way of comparison, Daniels described the Sonics as, “An organization that doesn’t just talk about the character of its players, but puts into action. Here, it’s a great core of guys, great group of guys with great attitudes – great teammates.” Those assets, more than the financial aspect, made the difference for the Sonics. “But what it comes to is it's not really about money,” Daniels said. “It's about a place where you feel comfortable, it's about a place where you feel like you can excel and an organization that has confidence in you.”

Known for his defensive ability, Daniels also excels in transition. D. Clarke Evans/NBAE/Getty

A major part of Daniels’ comfort level in Seattle is the Sonics coaching staff, which he met during his visit to Seattle earlier this month. “Nate is cool,” Daniels said. “He’s a heck of a guy. I didn’t realize he was so soft-spoken. I met Nate, had dinner with Nate. Talked with him for a while. Coach (Dwane) Casey, I’ve been in different conversations with him throughout negotiations on the phone.” During his rookie season, Daniels had the chance to play against McMillan twice during the coach’s final year with the Sonics, but he was unable to recall matching up with him when asked about the possibility.

Daniels has been known for his defensive ability during his career, a key reason the Sonics were interested in him. “I love him as a defender,” McMillan said in a prepared statement, and Daniels indicated he had heard the same thing from his new coach. “One thing that we talked about we want to do was to elevate our defensive mindset,” Daniels said. “That’s one thing I’ve always prided myself in is the defensive end of the ball.” Daniels has experience defending both guard positions and even played some against small forwards with the Blazers last season.

Offensively, Daniels has struggled throughout his career with the label of ‘tweener’, not a true point guard. He brushed aside these concerns to the media, saying, “I’m a point guard who has the ability to play the two-guard position.” Daniels has always thrived in the up-tempo style that the Sonics have indicated they plan to emphasize this season, and gives the Sonics a player who can start or finish fast breaks.

After his one year with the Grizzlies, Daniels was traded to San Antonio a year later on draft night for Carl Herrera and the rights to Felipe Lopez. He worked his way into the rotation on a veteran team, and was the team’s primary point guard during the 2000-01 season, his best as a pro, when he averaged 9.4 points and 3.8 assists and shot 40.4% from the three-point line. Despite losing his starting job to rookie Tony Parker early in the 2001-02 season, Daniels played slightly more at both guard positions, averaging 9.2 points. Slightly less than a year ago, he was dealt to Portland in a five-player deal. With the Blazers, he had statistically the worst season of his career, though he played well when called upon.

Daniels was part of the Spurs 1998-99 Championship team and has been in the playoffs each of the last five seasons. He has stepped up his game in the postseason, upping his scoring average from 7.1 ppg to 7.3 ppg despite the typical drop in scoring during the playoffs. Daniels is also a career 46.1% shooter in postseason, including 39.5% from three-point range. During the 2002 playoffs, Daniels was a key part of the Spurs first-round victory over the Sonics. He scored double-figures in all three San Antonio wins, averaging 8.2 ppg and shooting 50% for the series.