Ex-Bruin Barnes Signs to Fill in for Simmons

Moving quickly to replace injured forward Bobby Simmons, the Clippers plucked a player Sunday from the Long Beach Jam of the American Basketball Assn.

It was not Dennis Rodman, but rather Matt Barnes.

The former UCLA forward signed a 10-day contract and is expected to make his NBA debut today at Staples Center against the Sacramento Kings, his hometown team. Barnes averaged 18.9 points for the minor-league Jam, which last week added the 42-year-old Rodman to its roster.

Drafted by the Memphis Grizzlies with the 43rd pick of the 2002 draft, Barnes was traded on draft night to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Cut in camp by the Cavaliers, he played last season in the National Basketball Development League.

Last October, he was cut by the Seattle SuperSonics after playing in one exhibition game and signed on with the Jam.

“It’s exciting to finally get a chance to play in the NBA,” he said after his first Clipper practice.

“That’s what I’ve been working on for the past couple of years, so it’s pretty exciting to be able to stay at home and play basketball.”

Barnes, 6 feet 7 and 225 pounds, said he had started to get “impatient” waiting for another shot and was contemplating a switch to the NFL.

He was an All-American wide receiver at Del Campo High in Fair Oaks, which is outside Sacramento, where he led the nation with 28 touchdown receptions in his senior season.

He said “six or seven” NFL teams have invited him to try out, although he hasn’t played football since high school.

“I was definitely going to try to make that jump,” he said, “but basketball is my first love. I’ll always love football to death, but I’m going to focus on one thing at a time. But football’s never out of the picture.”

Barnes, 23, got a chance with the Clippers after Simmons, their most reliable reserve, suffered a severely sprained left hip in Friday’s loss to the Miami Heat.

Simmons probably will be sidelined at least two weeks. If his injury doesn’t respond to treatment, he could require season-ending surgery.

Coach Mike Dunleavy called Barnes “a real smart player, very solid” and indicated that he would be given a chance to play immediately.

“We need somebody right now that can come in and pick things up in a hurry,” he said. “We don’t have a whole lot of time to spend teaching guys stuff.”

As for Rodman, Dunleavy said the Clippers had not considered him, if for no other reason than he plays the same position as their top player, power forward Elton Brand.

“But if he was a [small forward] and you watched him play some of these games and he played well,” Dunleavy said, “I’d hire Rodman ... or anybody else.”

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TODAY

vs. Sacramento, 12:30 p.m.

Fox Sports Net 2

Site -- Staples Center.

Radio -- XTRA (690/1150).

Records -- Clippers 16-21, Kings 28-9.

Record vs. Sacramento -- 0-2.

Update -- Quentin Richardson is again doubtful because of a sprained right hand, an injury that has kept him out of four of the Clippers’ last five games.

Tickets -- (800) 462-2849.