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Anyone out there who didn’t like the makeup of last year’s Clippers squad surely can’t complain that management has sat on its hands this summer. They lured Baron Davis away from Golden State, traded for Marcus Camby after losing Elton Brand to Philadelphia, acquired Jason Hart from Utah, and added draft picks Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, and Mike Taylor. The latest move for the red, white, and blue? Ricky Davis. The Clippers announced today that they’ve signed the free agent swingman, late of Miami, to a deal, terms of which still remain hush hush (both in cash and in length, though they did use the term “multi,” so after crunching some numbers we’ve determined it’s for at least two years, or one with an option).

(UPDATE: Looks like the contract is for two years and $4.7 million, the second year being a player option for Davis. Very reasonable terms.)

In addition to adding a layer of busywork to whomever is responsible for sewing names on the back of Clipper jerseys, LA has added another cog, perhaps one of the more interesting ones, to what is quickly becoming something of a Swiss Army roster. Mike Dunleavy will be able to use Davis in conjunction with Tim Thomas, Al Thornton, Gordon, and Cuttino Mobley, with the ability to go small and quick or bigger, depending on the situation.

Davis, 28, is an extremely talented player, capable of hitting shots from everywhere on the court. While Davis has made himself into a solid three point shooter (about 40% over the last two seasons), he’s particularly effective with his midrange game, something of a lost art in the NBA these days. He can also take it to the rack, and is capable of scoring in bunches, having averaged more than 19 points three times over the course of his career. At 6′7″, Davis is a decent enough rebounder, and while he turns the ball over a little too much, can pass it too. Defensively, he’s athletic enough to defend effectively.

If only I could stop here, this would be a great deal for the Clips. Unfortunately, I can’t. While nobody has ever disputed Davis’ talent, just about everyone questions his attitude and work ethic. That part about Davis’ defensive ability? It’s certainly true, but comes with any of the following caveats (feel free to choose your favorite): “When he wants to,” “When challenged,” “If interested,” and “Sometimes,” just to choose a few. Offensively, while Davis can fill it up, he’s also been accused of dominating the ball to make it happen, and taking shots outside the framework of the offense.

In short, he’s never been a good player on a good team, always a good one on bad teams. Some of that isn’t his fault- players can’t control where they play, and he’s been exiled to some freakishly bad teams. Drafted by the reasonably solid Charlotte Hornets, where he was a teammate of a young Baron Davis, Ricky Davis spent two years there near the end of the bench before moving to some terrible teams in Cleveland, Boston, Minnesota, and Miami. Again, not necessarily his fault, but the rep is the rep, and it’s hard to shake. Not exactly the stereotypical “Dunleavy Guy.”

On the other hand, Dunleavy basically serves as GM of the team, so surely he knows what he’s getting, right?

Assuming Davis is, at this point in his career, a more mature player willing to be part of a system rather than try to dominate it- and there are signs that he is- as opposed to the guy who once intentionally missed a shot on his own hoop in pursuit of a triple-double, the Clippers could benefit greatly from his skill. It will help take pressure off Gordon, hedge against any (or, if you prefer, “the continuing”) decline of Mobley, allow Dunleavy to move Thornton freely around the floor, and provide legitimate scoring help for Baron Davis and Chris Kaman.

Obviously the devil is in the details, but assuming the Clippers didn’t go crazy on money and years, I’m willing to look at this signing with an open mind. Or at the very least, wait until I see it not work before I assume it won’t. (UPDATE: Given the terms mentioned above, it seems like a prudent deal for a player with both great upside and the threat of downside, as well.) Compare it to the sense of dread I felt when the Clips signed Tim Thomas- a noted dog who only plays well in contract years, and only few months earlier had been paid vast sums of money by the Bulls to stay away from their team- and I actually feel reasonably good about it.

This is the first time in a while Davis has had a chance to be part of a good team. He’ll be a role guy, for sure, not a headliner, and if he’s comfortable with that, the Clippers will benefit. Guys change, they mature. If that happens for Davis and the Clips, they’ll be better off. If Davis still needs to dominate the ball, is an indifferent defender, or generally chafes at whatever role the, um, detail oriented Dunleavy assigns him, it could get ugly. Like Corey Maggette all over again, except Davis isn’t as good.

We’ll just have to wait and see.

Brian Kamenetzky hosts the Lakers Blog and Blue Notes: A Dodgers Blog for the LA Times.com. He’s a contributing writer to ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com. Write him at bk@sportshubla.com.

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