NBA Rumors: Indiana Pacers pushing hard to sign Monta Ellis
The Indiana Pacers have emerged as strong suitors for free agent guard Monta Ellis.
Monta Ellis has enjoyed two fantastic seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, but is now on the open market in NBA free agency. Ellis was once viewed largely as a player chiefly concerned with his own offense, often to the detriment of his team. All that has changed in the past two seasons with the Dallas, where he’s been a key cog in coach Rick Carlisle’s well-oiled machine.
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As free agency kicks off on Wednesday morning, Ellis looks to be one of the players who could agree to an early deal in principle. Emerging as frontrunners to sign Ellis as of right now are the Indiana Pacers.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, Larry Bird and the Pacers front office are pushing hard to land Ellis. The two parties are scheduled to meet on Wednesday morning and are discussing the possibility of Ellis signing a three-year, $32 million contract with Indiana.
Bringing in Ellis would undoubtedly play right into the plans that Bird and head coach Frank Vogel have discussed for the team’s future. The Pacers have expressed a strong desire to play faster going forward, as well as experimenting with smaller lineups. The 29-year-old Ellis would bring the veteran experience to help make it a smooth transition for the organization.
Ellis played at the fastest pace of any Mavericks player who saw more than 11 minutes per game last season. That he averaged a solid 18.9 points, 4.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 44.5 percent from the floor bodes well for him leading an offense quicken its pace.
What the Pacers will need to see from Ellis if he does sign in Indiana, though, is that he can play well and create offense for guys like Paul George. While he was great as a part of the Mavericks, facilitating was still rarely his primary concern. Playing alongside George, it’s going to be vital for Ellis to be more than a primary scorer.
Whether or not this deal between the Pacers and Ellis gets finalized after their meeting on Wednesday, we know that the organization is moving ahead to a new era in terms of their style. Not only could that mean bringing in Ellis, but it also could put the writing even more boldly on the wall regarding Roy Hibbert and his future in Indiana.