Thorpe Signs With Heat

Otis Thorpe, the 16th player in NBA history with 15,000 points and 10,000 rebounds, signed a contract with the Miami Heat on Wednesday.

Thorpe, a free agent, averaged 11.3 points and 6.8 rebounds in 49 games last season with the Washington Wizards.

"By acquiring Otis Thorpe, we have taken care of our first priority by fortifying our front line," Heat coach Pat Riley read in a statement.

"Last year, our rebounding was one of the primary reasons we did not advance. We had to rectify it. In Otis Thorpe, we have a quality power forward-center who can rebound, defend and score," Riley said.

The 6-foot-10 Thorpe played on the 1994 NBA champion Houston Rockets.

Over a 15-year NBA career, Thorpe's has averaged 14.9 points and 8.7 rebounds during stops with Sacramento, Houston, Portland, Detroit, Vancouver and Washington.

Terms weren't disclosed.

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