ORLANDO, Fla., Sept. 5 (UPI) -- Looking for a solution to their troubled frontcourt, the Orlando Magic Thursday signed underachieving forward Shawn Kemp.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
A six-time All-Star whose career has been marred by weight problems and drug abuse, Kemp was looking for a new team after he forfeited $25 million of a $46.5 million contract in a buyout agreement with the Portland Trail Blazers earlier this summmer.
"I know the history here, but I'm a believer in giving people opportunities," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "Shawn is a great passer, a heck of a rebounder and can still shoot. Is he a savior? No, but he has a chance at addressing some of our needs. I am willing to take that chance."
"This is a great opportunity for me," Kemp said. "I've always felt that I have had a great relationship with Doc and look forward to playing with the guys."
With his weight ballooning to as much as 280 pounds, Kemp averaged just 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 75 games for the Blazers last season.
But in Orlando, the 6-10 Kemp should have an opportunity to revive his sagging career, with the Magic having a host of inexperienced big men on their roster.
"Under the circumstances, and in addressing some of our needs, this is an opportunity for both the Magic and Shawn," Orlando general manager John Gabriel said. "We look forward to his return to the Eastern Conference. We feel we have a solid coaching staff, organization and the right leadership in place to make this a a win-win situation."
The 33-year-old Kemp's career took a downward spiral starting in August 2000 when the Blazers acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a three-team trade.
He entered a substance abuse program near the end of his first season in Portland, then received a five-game suspension from the NBA last February for violating terms of his aftercare program.
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 17th overall pick in the 1989 draft, Kemp was 19 when he made his NBA debut. After scoring 6.5 points a game as a rookie, he averaged at least 15 points per contest and made six consecutive All-Star apperarances.
In 1997, Kemp signed a seven-year, $107 million contract. But the Sonics dealt him to Cleveland, which traded him before the 2000-01 season to Portland, where he averaged just 6.5 points in 68 games.
