5:30pm: The Clippers have officially signed Turiaf, according to Chris Broussard of ESPN The Magazine.
THURSDAY, 12:22am: The Clippers have reached a contract agreement with Ronny Turiaf for the coming season, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. Turiaf's deal with the Clips will be for one year, and will pay him the veteran's minimum — for a player with Turiaf's seven years of experience, the minimum salary is $1,146,337.
After winning a ring with the Heat, Turiaf decided to opt out of the second year of his contract. While his performance with Miami wasn't exceptional, the second-year player option had been included in his deal as an "insurance policy." Presumably, the belief was that the big man could earn a larger or longer guarantee on the open market, though it seems that wasn't the case.
As Hoops Rumors' Free Agent Tracker shows, Turiaf is the fifth free agent to sign with the Clippers this summer. In addition to fellow big man Ryan Hollins, Turiaf joins Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, and Chauncey Billups as the club's offseason free agent additions. Los Angeles also acquired Lamar Odom from the Mavericks in a June trade.
Clippers have a nice, well rounded team.