National Basketball Association

Shawn Marion officially a Cavalier, brings vet know-how and D

Published Sep. 9, 2014 3:00 p.m. ET

foxsports

Shawn Marion is a 15-year veteran who has won a championship and can defend multiple positions.

And you can now add all that to the Cleveland Cavaliers' monumental offseason.

While the news of Marion's free-agent signing has been expected for some time, the Cavs made it official Tuesday. Per league policy, the Cavs did not release terms of the deal. It is believed Marion signed a one-year contract for the veteran minimum.

"I'm excited to be a Cavalier," Marion said in a prepared statement. "I can see the hunger and mentality of everyone in the organization and l look forward to being a part of it. The goal is to win a championship and that's what I want."

Marion, 36, is a 6-foot-7 forward and spent the previous five seasons starting alongside Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas. The Mavericks won the NBA championship in 2011. Marion played in 76 games last season (all starts) and averaged 10.4 points and 6.5 rebounds in 31.7 minutes per game.

Mostly, the man nicknamed "The Matrix" is known for his determination and ability on D, where he can guard everyone from the opposing shooting guard to power forward. At times, he can defend point guards and even undersized centers.

That makes Marion the rare NBA defenseman, a versatile veteran who has played in the biggest of games.

"He will impact both ends of the floor and his ability to guard multiple positions will be particularly important for us," said Cavs general manager David Griffin. "Shawn is an accomplished, high-caliber veteran (who) will help with leadership on and off the court and we're very happy to welcome him to the Cavaliers family."

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Marion joins LeBron James, Mike Miller and James Jones as title-winning free agents who have joined the Cavs this summer. The Cavs also completed a trade for Minnesota star Kevin Love last month and signed star point guard Kyrie Irving to a contract extension in July.

Meanwhile, new coach David Blatt was hired from overseas in June.

"Everyone has to get accustomed to a lot of different things," Miller said last week. "It's gonna be a lot of fun. Everyone is ready for the journey."

The Cavs remain active in free agency and are still interested in signing veteran guard Ray Allen. Both James and Miller said they have spoken to Allen about potentially joining the organization.

Marion has played in 103 career playoff games (all starts) with averages of 14.7 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks. He will wear No. 31 with the Cavs.