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The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent center DeSagana Diop. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.

Diop (7-0, 280), a native of Dakar, Senegal, has spent the previous four seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cleveland selected him in the first round (eighth pick overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft. In his 193 career games, he holds averages of 1.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.88 blocks in 10.8 minutes per contest.

A former high school standout, Diop attended basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy. As a senior at Oak Hill, Diop was named USA Today Virginia Player of the Year while leading his squad to a 33-0 record and a No. 1 national ranking. During his senior campaign, he averaged 14.6 points, 13.2 rebounds and 8.0 blocks per game while shooting better than 60 percent from the floor.