The Indianapolis Star reports: Danny Granger, the Indiana Pacers’ leading scorer last season, said he doesn’t see his contract situation being a distraction. Granger is entering his fourth year, and the Pacers have until Oct. 31 to sign him to a long-term deal or he becomes a restricted free agent, which means the Pacers have the right to match any offer he might receive next summer. “Whether I sign it now or after, it really doesn’t matter,” the 6-8 swingman said Monday as the team prepared for the start of training camp today. “That’s the way I approach it.”
InsideHoops.com editor says: Granger has proven himself worthy of a decent contract, so he has nothing to worry about. But a source that is only loosely plugged in to the situation tells me the Pacers may look to wait as long as possible to sign Granger for the long-term. Their future is uncertain, and while they do want Granger to be a part of it and fully intend to keep him, maintaining as much salary cap flexibility for as long as possible will help their rebuilding process. So, we’ll see.
