The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have signed free agent forward Juwan Howard. As per club policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed. InsideHoops.com has heard it's probably just a one-year deal.

Howard (6-9, 253) is a 13-year veteran and was originally drafted in the first round (fifth overall) of the 1994 NBA Draft. He holds career averages of 16.1 points and 7.1 rebounds in 951 games. Howard is a 15,000-point scorer and was named to the All-NBA Third Team and Eastern Conference All-Star Team in 1996 as a member of the Washington Bullets.

The Chicago native begins his second stint in Dallas after playing 80 games for the Mavericks from Feb. 22, 2001 to Feb. 21, 2002. Howard started 71 of those 80 games while averaging 14.6 points and 7.3 rebounds. He also started all 10 postseason games for the Mavericks in 2001.

As a standout at Michigan and member of the "Fab Five," Howard was the first NBA player to leave school early and graduate on time. Named one of the "Good Guys in Sports" by The Sporting News, Howard is active in the community through the Juwan Howard Foundation which benefits underprivileged youth.

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