Trevor Booker plans to sign with the Indiana Pacers once he clears waivers later this week after being waived by the Philadelphia 76ers, a source confirmed to VigilantSports.com
Booker shared his excitement for what’s next in a tweet Wednesday afternoon.
Indy, let’s work!!!!
— Trevor Booker (@35_Fitz) February 28, 2018
Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype first reported Booker’s intentions to join the Pacers.
The 76ers waived Booker to open a roster spot for forward Ersan Ilyasova, who agreed to a buyout with the Atlanta Hawks on Monday.
Booker, 30, is a 6-foot-8 power forward who spent his first four years with the Wizards in Washington D.C. He also made stops in Utah (two years) and Brooklyn. He has averaged 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, and shot 51.7 percent from the field in his eight seasons as a pro.
Booker is a strong rebounder despite being undersized for his position. He can help rebound off the bench for the Pacers, who rank 21st in rebounding.
The Pacers (34-26) play their second of four consecutive road games Wednesday night in Atlanta.
The Pacers had one roster spot available after the Feb. 8 trade deadline. Last week, the Pacers took care of one of their own and signed Trey McKinney Jones of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants to a 10-day contract, which expires on Friday.
At the time of the waiver, Trevor Booker had $2.1M left on his contract with Philadelphia. The minimum deal for Booker once he clears waivers on Friday (if signed that day) is $457k.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 28, 2018
Michael Grady, the sideline TV reporter for the Brooklyn Nets who covered Booker for the first 23 games this season, likes the move.
“This is great for the Pacers,” he wrote on Twitter. “Trevor is undersized, but plays BIG – finishes well at the rim – and is another veteran voice in the locker room. Booker was one of my favorite guys in the Nets locker room as I was trying to figure out what the hell I was doing early in the season. Get used to a lot of flexing after ‘big man’ buckets inside.”
You can follow Trevor Booker on Twitter, @35_Fitz.