The Indiana Pacers announced Saturday they have acquired veteran forward/center Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns in exchange for forward Gerald Green, center Miles Plumlee and a future No. 1 draft pick.
The 6-9, 245-pound Scola, a native of Argentina, played five seasons with the Houston Rockets and last season with the Suns. He has career averages of 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The 33-year-old Scola is a regular member of Argentina’s national team, having won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
“I’m very, very excited to play for the Pacers,” said Scola. “They are one of the top three teams in the NBA with a good shot to win a championship. I think it’s a great team and this is a great opportunity. I can’t wait.”
“Luis will be a very important asset to our team and to our bench,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “He has NBA experience, international experience and is the type of player that will fit in nicely on our roster. I want to thank Gerald and Miles for their contributions. They had tough years last season, but worked hard, never complained and contributed to the great chemistry our team had. I think Gerald and Miles will be solid additions in Phoenix and we wish them well.”
Green was signed as a free agent in 2012 and played in 60 games for the Pacers, averaging 7.0 points per game with a single-game high of 34. Plumlee was the Pacers’ No. 1 pick in the 2012 draft (26th overall) out of Duke and appeared in 14 games averaging 0.9 points and 1.6 rebounds. He played in 15 games last season for the Pacers’ NBA Development League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 11.2 points and 10.2 rebounds.
“The trade is consistent with our stated plan to continue to acquire young assets,” said Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby. “With this trade, we now have the potential for three first-round picks in the 2014 draft and five first-round picks in the next two drafts.”
“Although Luis’s time here in Phoenix was short, he certainly ingratiated himself to all of us in Phoenix with his hard work and professionalism. He will be an important contributor to a contending team in Indiana.”
“We are excited to add Miles and Gerald to our young core group of players,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “Miles was one of the best players in the Orlando Summer League, and Gerald’s scoring ability and athleticism will help us as we continue to build a team that plays an exciting, up tempo brand of basketball.”
Plumlee, a 6-11, 255-pound center, was selected by the Pacers with the 26th overall pick (first round) of the 2012 NBA Draft and played in 14 games for a deep Indiana team that pushed the NBA Champion Miami Heat to a seven-game series in the Eastern Conference Finals. Earlier this month, he played on the Pacers summer league squad in Orlando and averaged 10.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.0 blocks while shooting 51.5 percent (17-33) from the field in 27.0 minutes.
A four-year collegiate performer at Duke University, Plumlee was a member of the Blue Devils squad that won three ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA National Championship. As a senior, he averaged 6.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks on 61.0-percent shooting in 20.5 minutes.
Green, a six-year veteran, was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the 18th pick (first round) of the 2005 NBA Draft out of high school after averaging 33.0 points, 12.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists. After doubling his production to 10.4 points and 2.6 rebounds in his second season with Boston, he was included in a multi-player trade for Kevin Garnett.
A 6-8, 210-pound small forward, Green owns career averages of 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 272 games with Boston (2005-07), Minnesota (2007-08), Houston (2007-08), Dallas (2008-09), New Jersey (2011-12) and Indiana (2012-13). After a brief stint playing overseas in Russia and China, he returned to the states for the 2011-12 season and played for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League before being called up by the New Jersey Nets. Last season with the Pacers, he averaged 7.0 points in 18.0 minutes and came off the bench in the playoffs to average 6.1 points and 1.3 rebounds on 42.0-percent shooting in nine appearances.
