After sweating through possible waiver claims for two targeted key additions, Cavaliers general manager David Griffin can breathe a little easier now.
The Cavs signed Australian 7-footer Andrew Bogut on Thursday afternoon. A member of the 2015 Golden State Warriors championship team, the former Dallas Maverick will be in uniform for Monday night's game against the Miami Heat at Quicken Loans Arena.
Bogut, 32, the first overall pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005, will not join the Cavs on their current road trip for remaining games in Atlanta on Friday and Miami on Saturday.
The Cavs announced Bogut will wear No. 6.
The Cavs had sought an effective rim protector to join Tristan Thompson since the end of last season, when Timofey Mozgov became a nonfactor in the playoffs and departed for the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
Bogut was selected to the NBA's all-defensive second team in 2014-15. He is one of nine active players with over 1,000 career blocked shots (1,070).
After being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline, Bogut reached a buyout agreement with the 76ers Monday and was waived. He cleared waivers Wednesday and committed to signing with the Cavs after talking to the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets.
The Rockets had over $3 million in salary cap space available to offer Bogut, but he chose a chance to win another title with LeBron James and the Cavs, who defeated his Warriors in the Finals in 2016. With the Cavs, Bogut will earn about $390,000 for the remainder of the season.
In his 12th year in the league, Bogut is averaging 3 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists, while shooting 46.9 percent from the field and 27.3 percent from the free-throw line in 26 games. He has pulled down double-digit rebounds in 10 games. His career averages are 10 points, 8.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists, while shooting 53.4 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from the line.
Griffin waited out a similar situation with backup point guard Deron Williams, whom the Cavs signed Monday. Williams, a teammate of Bogut's in Dallas, received a buyout from the Mavs and joined the Cavs after clearing waivers. He made his debut in Wednesday night's loss to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he knows it will take time to acclimate Williams and Bogut to the system.
"We welcome guys here, when guys come in we try to make guys fit in," Lue said at shootaround Wednesday. "When (Kyle) Korver first got here, we turned down a lot of shots, we didn't do the things we were accustomed to doing because we were trying to get him integrated, make him feel comfortable. Once he realized what we do and how we do things and we understood what he liked, I think it was a great fit for us.
"It's going to be the same for D-Will early, it's going to be the same for Bogut. But once we all get together and get on the right page, we'll be a tough team to beat."
