Cavs sign Devin Brown, acquire forward from N.O.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Cavaliers finally made a few offseason moves, signing free agent guard Devin Brown on Saturday and trading guard David Wesley to the New Orleans Hornets for forward Cedric Simmons.

Brown averaged 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists — all career-highs — for the New Orleans Hornets last season. The 6-foot-5 Brown can play both guard positions as well as small forward. Terms of the deal were not available.

“Devin is a versatile basketball player,” said Cavaliers general manager Danny Ferry. “His toughness and ability to play multiple positions on both ends of the court will complement our group well.”

Ferry knows Brown from their days together with the San Antonio Spurs. Before signing Brown, the defending Eastern Conference champion Cavaliers had not made a single roster move this offseason.

Brown will give the Cavs depth and insurance in case they can’t re-sign restricted free agent Sasha Pavlovic. The club and Pavlovic’s representatives haven’t been able to finalize a deal for the 23-year-old, who was a key contributor last season when the Cavs made it to the NBA finals for the first time.

The Cavaliers signed Wesley, a 14-year veteran known for his defense and outside shooting, to a two-year contract Sept. 4.

Wesley averaged 9.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 71 games, including 59 starts, for Houston last season. His addition temporarily gave the Cavaliers more guards than they had room for on their roster.

Simmons was selected by the Hornets in the first round — 15th overall — in the 2006 draft. He averaged 2.9 points and 2.5 rebounds in 43 games last season.

The Cavaliers are also in talks with forward Anderson Varejao, another restricted free agent. The team opens training camp next week.