The Indiana Pacers reached agreement to keep their sixth man, Rodney Stuckey, in Indianapolis. The deal is worth $21 million over three years and includes a player option in year three, his agent, Paolo Zamorano, told VigilantSports.com.
Stuckey’s desire was to re-sign with the Pacers but after they spent significant money on Monta Ellis, he wasn’t sure if it was even a possibility. About four teams expressed serious interest in signing Stuckey but he wanted to wait to see how the Pacers’ cap situation played out.
Seeking a fresh start, Stuckey changed his number to 2 last season when he joined the Pacers.
The Pacers will be able to keep him with money that will come available once the NBA’s moratorium ends on July 9th and they offload Roy Hibbert and his $15.5 million contract to the Los Angeles Lakers.
“Rodney’s No. 1 goal when he hit free agency was to return to Indiana,” Zamorano said. “We felt like he could build something there.”
[My free agency primer on the Pacers and Stuckey wanting to continue their relationship]
Team President Larry Bird wanted to keep Stuckey in a Pacers uniform and going back to April, when the season concluded, he was confident that he could do just that.
“I think we can get Rodney done,” Bird said. “I think it’s important for us to get him back here. … “We need guys like Rodney. He was a major plus for our franchise.”
Team officials can’t comment on the deal until it is finalized after the moratorium.
Stuckey came to the Pacers last July seeking a fresh start in a stable situation and with a team that could compete year after year. Playing on a veteran minimum contract for one season, Stuckey also sought to repair his reputation that was damaged by those in Detroit.
Over the last year, Stuckey proved to be a valuable — if not underrated — piece to the franchise. The eight-year veteran averaged 12.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game last season, playing off the bench in over half of the games. He shot a career-best 44 percent from the floor and seemed quite comfortable in Indy.
Stuckey was looking for a deal similar to other top sixth mans around the league, which last year was $5.45 million. The 29-year-old will now haul in $7 million annually. (He could be the perfect guy for rookie Joe Young to learn under.)
With a new deal in place, Stuckey can focus on his wedding — which is later this month.
The Pacers already have deals in place with Monta Ellis and Lavoy Allen. They still need to address the power forward position — a spot left empty with David West moving on and Luis Scola being a free agent.
The Pacers’ roster currently looks like this:
Guards: George Hill, Rodney Stuckey, Monta Ellis
Forwards: Paul George, C.J. Miles, Solomon Hill, Damjan Rudež
Centers: Ian Mahinmi, Lavoy Allen, Myles Turner
Needs: Power Forward, Point Guard
[…] fact, he was so set on staying in Indiana — to help “build something,” according to his agent — that he turned down better offers from other teams, according to Scott Agness of Vigilant […]