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Miami Heat Sign Guard Shannon Brown

MIAMI (CBSMiami) – As the Miami Heat continue to build a new roster in the wake of LeBron James' departure, new players know that they are coming into a situation where there will be opportunities to earn playing time.

In their latest move, the Heat announced the signing of guard Shannon Brown on Wednesday.

Brown joins the Heat on a one year $1.3 million contract, according to USA Today.  There is no word of how much of that will be guaranteed.

Miami is only able to offer a minimum contract and the NBA will cover $395,043 of the $1.3 million because Brown is a veteran signing a one-year minimum deal.

A former first round pick (25th overall) in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brown has appeared in 403 regular season games though he's only started in 58 of them.

During his eight-year career Brown has averaged 7.7 points on 42 percent shooting, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists while playing 18.0 minutes per game.

A former NBA Champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010, Brown has appeared in 55 postseason games, averaging 5.2 points on 42.2 percent shooting while grabbing 1.3 rebounds in 13.9 minutes.

Brown will give the Heat some depth in their backcourt and provide leadership amongst the younger players like Norris Cole and Shabazz Napier.  He's got an impressive wingspan and is known for his above-average athleticism.

Defensively Brown can be a nuisance, having three seasons with at least 57 steals, but he is slightly undersized for a shooting guard and gives up a couple inches when defending the position.

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