There is a portion of the Indiana Pacers fan base that is dedicated to Roy Hibbert and his play in the middle. Of course, there is a portion of the Indiana Pacers fan base who aren’t exactly enamored with the big man, so both will likely have differing opinions on what’s next for the former Georgetown product.
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Before last season, Roy Hibbert had proven himself to be a valuable commodity to the Indiana Pacers. He clogged up the lane with his big body and had no problem rejecting or altering shots that came near him. He even put up numbers on the offensive end and looked to be one of the NBA’s better all-around centers.
However, Hibbert looked woeful during the 2013-14 campaign and his previous All-Star campaign was a distant memory. Things became so bad there were even trade rumors circulating.
Hoping things would improve during the postseason, Roy Hibbert attempted to right his personal ship but things were still rocky and Hibbert took much of the blame for the Indiana Pacers late season struggle.
Now faced with a player option at season end there has been speculation that he could opt out of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, despite the fact that Roy Hibbert is owed upwards of $15.5 million dollars for the 2015-16 campaign.
"It’s possible that Hibbert opts out of $15,514,031 to secure a long-term deal, but how he plays this season will obviously impact his decision. If he plays like the dominant, DPOY candidate we saw in the beginning of last season, he could get a big payday. If he plays like the player we saw in the postseason, he should opt in because teams won’t be lining up to make offers."
That’s probably the last thing Pacers fans want to hear. Watch him play well and it’s very possible he opts-out to sign a lucrative, long-term deal. Watch him throw up another dud of a season and you’re on the hook for $15.5 million dollars in 2015-16. Not exactly the most enviable position for a fan base that has seemingly been snake bitten recently.