Who is going to back up Jeff Teague at point guard for the Pacers this upcoming season? We finally have the answer.
The Pacers reached agreement with guard Aaron Brooks Monday afternoon on a one-year deal worth $2.5 million, per Shams Charania of The Vertical. It’s a bargain for the 31-year-old veteran who has been steady backup over his eight-year career.
Indiana will be Brooks’ sixth stop over his nine-year career.
Get ready for plenty of Oregon Ducks, Nike, and Uncle Phil talk as the Pacers’ second- and third-string point guards are both products of the University of Oregon. Brooks played at Oregon from 2003-07 while Joe Young was there for his final two years, 2013-15.
Like Rodney Stuckey, Brooks is a native of Seattle.
Once Brooks signs, the Pacers will have 16 players under contract, one more than the league maximum. They have two players without fully guaranteed contracts for the upcoming 2016-17 season, Shayne Whittington and Glenn Robinson III. GRIII, however, has a compensation protection of $275,000 whereas Whittington has no guarantees.
The Pacers have until August 1 to decide on Whittington and Robinson III. After both moves, the Pacers would be approximately $7 million under the cap.
Brooks spent the last two seasons in the Eastern Conference, up with Chicago. Over his eight-year career, he has averaged 10.7 points, 3.2 assists, and 1.7 turnovers per game.