JULY 29TH - The Los Angeles Clippers today acquired veteran shooting guard Kerry Kittles from the New Jersey Nets in exchange for a future second round draft pick. Kittles, who led New Jersey to consecutive NBA Finals appearances in 2002 and 2003, holds career averages of 14.3 points and 2.6 assists per game during his eight year career.
We are very pleased to announce the addition of Kerry Kittles, who is a talented player with a great work ethic, said Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. Kerry plays hard on both ends of the floor and has a great feel for the game. He is also a veteran player who brings a tremendous amount of playoff experience to our roster.
Drafted by New Jersey with eighth overall selection in the 1996 NBA Draft, Kittles played in all 82 regular season games for the third time in his career last season and averaged 13.1 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Kittles was also named the Atlantic Division Winner for the 2003-04 NBA Sportsmanship Award, a distinction also bestowed on Clippers forward Elton Brand, who was the recipient of the Pacific Division Award.
Our objective all along has been to add talented players and we are very pleased with the acquisition of Kerry Kittles, who is the perfect fit for our team, said Clippers Head Coach Mike Dunleavy. Kerry is a terrific defender, ball-handler and perimeter shooter who will enhance our team chemistry.
Kittles, who shares the Nets franchise record with 54 playoff games played, has career playoff averages of 12.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game.