Doc Rivers signs another Rockets castoff in Chuck Hayes

Doc Rivers and the Clippers have signed Chuck Hayes, just days after the big man decided he wouldn't get the playing time (or maybe the roster spot) he wanted with the Rockets. Make this two veteran big men that weren't good enough to get the money or minutes they want with Houston that Doc Rivers has decided to bring in.

Yahoo!'s Marc Spears reported the news (he's leading the Chuck Hayes beat contest), with a source telling him the Chuckwagon is in L.A. for a one-year deal, but Doc feels it is his personal mission to extend the careers of players who should have been coaching two years ago (or, in the case of Hedo Turkoglu, owning a nightclub).

The Rockets and Hayes had agreed to a partially guaranteed contract earlier this summer, but the minutes and cap math just didn't fit. They likely informed him there's a good chance his contract wouldn't vest, so they mutually agreed to tear it up. And the Clippers, despite having signed Josh Smith after he couldn't find playing time on the Rockets, brought on one more big man. It helps that Chuck Hayes is basically the opposite of the basketball player that Spencer Hawes is; Doc must be scarred.

I have two things that make me sad here: one, that the Chuckwagon isn't home in Houston where he belongs, and two, that the Clippers will get his leadership and future-coachiness on the bench, which can only help them.