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The Indiana Pacers announced Thursday they have waived guard Monta Ellis.
A 12-year veteran of the NBA, Ellis played two seasons with the Pacers. In those two seasons, he averaged 11.3 points and 4.0 assists over 155 games (114 starts). Ellis has career averages of 17.8 points and 4.6 assists per game.
Ellis’ NBA stock is down right now. Last season was a quiet one for him. It’ll be interesting to see what his next role is. Likely as scoring punch off the bench.
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The Indiana Pacers have officially added a mountain of backcourt scoring.
The team announced Tuesday they have signed veteran free agent Monta Ellis to a contract.
According to the Associated Press, it is a four-year, $44 million deal, with a player option for the final year.
“He’ll be a great addition to our team,” said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird. “And he fits our needs for how we want to play. We’re excited to have him. He adds another veteran in our lineup and we think he’ll be a great fit, complementing George Hill in the back court.”
Ellis, named the NBA’s Most Improved Player for the 2006-07 season, is a 10-year NBA veteran, having played for the Golden State Warriors, Milwaukee Bucks and most recently, the Dallas Mavericks. The 6-3, 185-pound guard attended Lanier High School in Mississippi and was drafted by Golden State in the Second Round of the 2005 Draft with the 40th overall pick. He has career averages of 19.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals in 678 games.
“We’re thrilled to have Monta Ellis with the Pacers,” said Pacers Head Coach Frank Vogel. “He’s proven to be one of the league’s most prolific scorers year in and year out and his game fits perfectly with the style we’re going to implement going forward.”
Pacers, Monta Ellis agree to deal
The Indiana Pacers are about to add a lot of scoring to their backcourt. Will it be efficient scoring? We’ll see. Here’s the Indianapolis Star reporting:
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Free agent guard Monta Ellis and the Indiana Pacers have agreed to a four-year deal worth $44 million on Thursday, a league source confirmed.
The deal also gives Ellis, 29, a player option in the fourth year, the source confirmed. Chris Broussard of ESPN was first to report the agreement. The Pacers reportedly beat out several other teams interested in Ellis, who has averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists over his 10-year career…
On Wednesday, Ellis and his wife arrived in Indianapolis and later in the night, met with Pacers executives Larry Bird, Kevin Pritchard and head coach Frank Vogel.
Uncertain future for Monta Ellis in Dallas
Here’s the Dallas Morning News with some insight on the Mavericks, who face many difficult decisions, many of which hinge on what Monta Ellis decides to do:
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Monta Ellis has a decision to make. Most people think they know what he’s going to do, but until he makes it official, the Mavericks are forced to have two plans of attack ready to implement.
It boils down to whether Ellis opts out of the final season of his contract.
If Ellis does, he becomes an unrestricted free agent and can sign with any team in the league, presumably whoever is the highest bidder.
That likely would not be the Mavericks.
If Ellis doesn’t opt out, he will play the final year of his contract with the Mavericks, making about $9 million in the 2015-16 season.
The smart money is on Ellis opting out of his contract.