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The Los Angeles Clippers today signed free agent center Mamadou N’diaye. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. The 7’0” N’diaye has averaged 4.2 points and 3.6 rebounds per game in four NBA seasons.

N’diaye averaged 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game in 28 games last season with Dallas and Atlanta. He averaged 3.9 points and 4.4 rebounds in 25 games with the Hawks after signing as a free agent on February 18, 2004. N’diaye began the season with the NBDL’s Asheville Altitude before singing a 10-day contract with the Dallas Mavericks on January 6, 2004. He averaged 0.3 rebounds in 2.3 minutes over three games with Dallas.

N’diaye was originally drafted out of Auburn University by the Denver Nuggets with the 26th overall selection in the 2000 NBA Draft. He was traded to Toronto on January 12, 2001 along with Keon Clark and Tracy Murray in exchange for Kevin Willis, Aleksandar Radojevic, Garth Joseph and a 2001 second-round draft choice. N’diaye went on to average 1.3 points per game for Toronto in limited action during his rookie season.

In 2001-02, N’diaye averaged 4.0 points per game. He had his best NBA season in 2002-03, when he averaged 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game for the Toronto Raptors. He also averaged 8.0 points and 5.8 rebounds in eight starts that season.

The Los Angeles Clippers also signed free agent swingman Quinton Ross. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released. The 6’6 Ross, who averaged 5.4 points per game with the Clippers during the 2003 preseason, played last season in Belgium before joining the Clippers 2004 Summer League Team.

Ross was named 2003 WAC Player of the Year during his senior season at Southern Methodist University, where left as the school’s fourth all-time leading scorer. He averaged 14.8 points and 5.5 rebounds in 119 games played during his four-year collegiate career. Ross averaged a career-high 20.3 points per game as a senior in 2002-03.

After being released by the Clippers prior to the start of the 2003-04 season, Ross signed with Telindus BC Oostende (Belgium), where he averaged 16.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. He also averaged 14.6 points per game for Oostende in FIBA Europe Cup Play.

Also, the Los Angeles Clippers signed rookie point guard Lionel Chalmers, who the team selected with the 33rd overall selection in the 2004 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

“We were pleased that Lionel was available in the draft and we expect him to provide us with backcourt depth,” said Clippers Vice President of Basketball Operations Elgin Baylor. “Lionel played well during the summer league and we look forward to his continued development.”

Chalmers was instrumental in Xavier’s run to the “elite eight” of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, averaging 21.8 points per game. He was also named Most Outstanding Player of the 2004 Atlantic 10 Tournament after leading Xavier to the championship by averaging 17.5 points per game on 59.1% shooting from the floor.

A four-year player at Xavier, Chalmers finished his career with 1,556 points and became the first Musketeer to be named to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Academic Team.