INDIANAPOLIS -- The Eastern Conferences top team just got more imposing. On Saturday, the Pacers added size and scoring punch to their roster by signing mercurial free agent centre Andrew Bynum for the rest of the season. Team officials did not release additional details about the contract and said Bynum was expected to join the team sometime next week. "We are obviously happy to have him join our team," Larry Bird said in a statement issued by the team less than 12 hours before Indiana hosted Brooklyn on Saturday night. "He gives us added size, he is a skilled big man and he has championship experience. With the minutes he gets, he should be a valuable addition." Adding a guy with Bynums mercurial reputation to a locker room as selfless as the Pacers is definitely a gamble, though likely a low-risk one since Bird, the Pacers president of basketball operations, has made it clear the Pacers would not pay the NBAs luxury tax and Indiana had an open spot on its roster. But if Bynum performs as he did in helping the Lakers win back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010, it could create even more lineup mismatches against two-time defending champion Miami in the East. Indiana (35-10) entered Saturday with a three-game lead over the Heat in the chase for home-court advantage and has made no secret of its desire to get the top seed in its quest to win the teams first NBA crown. Bynum will give the Pacers another big body off the bench, backing up All-Star centre Roy Hibbert. And his offensive skills give Indiana another scorer to go with the leagues best defence. Miami, which struggled against Indianas size during last seasons Eastern Conference finals, tried to close the gap by signing the oft-injured former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden, an Indianapolis native, last summer. Oden has played sparingly this season, though he has been improving. Saturdays move could give the Pacers an even bigger advantage -- if the 7-foot-1, 285-pound centre returns to his previous form. The move also prevents the Heat from signing Bynum as had been widely speculated. But Bynum is far from a sure thing. After the Lakers traded Bynum to Philadelphia in 2012, he missed the entire season because of knee injuries. This season, after signing with Cleveland as a free agent, he played in only 24 games before he was suspended indefinitely for conduct detrimental to the team. He was eventually dealt to Chicago, which quickly released Bynum so it didnt have to guarantee the remaining $6 million owed to him this season. Since then, Bynum has been looking for a landing spot and finally settled on Indiana. "It really wasnt a hard decision, I think its the right fit for me and, in all honesty, I think weve got the best chance of winning," Bynum said in a statement. "It will be great to back up Roy and Ill do whatever I can to help this team." With Cleveland, he averaged 8.4 points and 5.3 rebounds. He has career averages of 11.5 points per game and 7.7 rebounds, and his best season came in 2011-12 when he averaged 18.7 points and 11.8 rebounds with the Lakers. Wholesale Jordans . Re-signed by the club to a one-year, two-way (NHL/AHL) contract on July 5, Bass appeared in three preseason games with Columbus prior to breaking a bone in his hand on Sept. Jordans Shoes Online Wholesale . Peter Dawson took his long before he started the job. "I was playing an American one year at Oxford Golf Club, and he introduced me to this travelling mulligan," Dawson said. http://www.airjordanoutletsale.com/ . The 17-year-old had four goals and four assists in 38 games for Liberec in the Czech pro league this past season. Zacha had three goals and two assists in seven games at the world mens under-18 championship in April when the Czech Republic took the silver medal. Cheap Air Jordan Free Shipping . -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. Discount Jordans .twitter.com/xBTpoAKLJk — Daryl Zerr (@darylzerr) May 29, 2014 @BarDown I give to you the @SquirrelsNCHL aka the Fighting Squirels.CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Panthers used the franchise tag on Greg Hardy on Friday, preventing the outspoken defensive end from hitting the free agent market. Hardy will make $12.45 million next season. The team also re-signed kicker Graham Gano to a four-year contract. Financial terms of that deal were not released. Hardy, known by teammates as "The Kraken," tied a franchise single-season record with 15 sacks in 2013 and was selected second-team All-Pro by The Associated Press. SportsIllustrated.com ranked Hardy as this off-seasons top NFL free agent. Hardy led the Panthers with 38 quarterback pressures and posted a career-high 67 tackles last season. "We are very pleased that Greg will be back with the Panthers next season," Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said in a release. "He was a big reason we were able to lead the league in sacks last year and keeps our defensive line intact." The Panthers have until July 15 to sign Hardy to a long-term contract extension. After that date they cant discuss a contract extension until after the season is over. "The franchise mechanism gives us time to secure the services of a very good player while we continue to look at the future of Greg with the Carolina Panthers," Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman said in a release. "We have had great dialogue with both Greg and his agent. It was important to keep our defensive front together." Hardy and Charles Johnson are the only set of teammates to record 10 or more sacks in each of the last two seasons. They have combined for 49.5 sacks during that span, tied for most in the NFL. A former sixth-round draft pick out of Mississippi, Hardy made the league veteran minimum salary last year. Hardy said in January he would have no problem if the Panthers used the franchise tag on him after being selected to his first Pro Bowl. "I would love a franchise (tag), man," Hardy said prior to the playoffs. "Add another year on my career. Get to play foootball a little bit longer without a contract.dddddddddddd. Another year to be in Carolina just to get them a chance to get their fiscal responsibilities in order so we can be here forever, like Steve Smith and a lot of other guys." Hardy becomes the fifth player in Panthers history to receive the franchise tag, joining punter Todd Sauerbrun (2003), tackle Jordan Gross (2008), defensive end Julius Peppers (2009) and centre Ryan Kalil (2011). Gano helps solidify the teams kicking situation. The 26-year-old Gano is coming off a successful season, converting 24 of 27 field goal attempts while helping the team to a 12-4 record and the NFC South title. He set a franchise record and tied for the NFL lead with six made field goals from 50 yards or more. He was the only NFL kicker with three or more attempts from 50 yards or more without a miss from that distance. "Im really excited to be back in Carolina," Gano said. "It is where my family and I wanted to be. I love the organization and feel this is the best place for me." Rivera said: "The special teams unit was a large part of our success last year and we are excited to keep Graham as a part of our team. Graham has shown range and accuracy in his field goal kicking, and his strong leg has been a weapon for us on kickoffs." Of his 82 kickoffs, 76 reached the end zone, including 63 for touchbacks, the highest percentage in the NFL since 1994. A five-year NFL veteran, Gano spent his first three seasons with the Washington Redskins. He has converted 92 of 118 field goal attempts in his career. Gano feels like he has some stability on the team, which has helped his game. "When I was in Washington I went through four holders and that took some getting used to," Gano said. "I finally got comfortable there and made my last 14 of 17 field goals. Ive carried over that consistency to Carolina." Gano said he was celebrating the new deal by taking his son to Chic-fil-A. ' ' '