The Toyama Grouses on Saturday announced the signing of veteran NBA center Earl Barron to a contract for the 2016-17 season.

The 211-cm Barron has played for seven NBA teams (Miami Heat, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors and Washington Wizards). He was a backup on the Heat's 2005-06 championship team. He was a D-League first-team selection for the 2014-15 season.

An undrafted free agent out of the University of Memphis in 2003, the 34-year-old journeyman pivot has also played pro ball in Turkey, Italy, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, the NBA Development League and, most recently, Taiwan.

Barron has appeared in 140 regular-season NBA games and made 31 starts. He has career averages of 4.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 14.2 minutes per game.

In his NBA years, he played in a personal-high 46 games for the Heat in the 2007-08 campaign. During the 2009-10 season, he contributed carer-best totals of 11.7 points and 11.0 rebounds in 28 games for the Knicks.

In 2005, NBA.com noted that Barron held a unique distinction from his college days: He was Memphis' all-time leader in charges taken (36).

Barron, a native of Clarksdale, Mississippi, helped the Tigers capture the 2002 National Invitational Tournament title with a 72-62 win over South Carolina in the final.