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Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:00 pm**

Chad Ford is ranking all the teams on their offseason moves. INSIDER ONLY LINK

INDIANA PACERS
Key additions: David West (FA), George Hill (trade), Jeff Pendergraph (FA), Louis Amundson (trade)

Key subtractions: Mike Dunleavy, T.J. Ford, Josh McRoberts, James Posey, Brandon Rush

The tenure of team president Larry Bird and GM David Morway has been defined by patience. The two have been carefully and methodically rebuilding the Pacers from the ground up after the Ron Artest debacle. They entered this offseason loaded with young talent and cap room -- a covetable position few NBA teams ever reach -- and desperately needed an upgrade at the 4 and a reserve guard who can get his own shot.

Awash with cash in a shallow free-agent pool, Bird and Morway did what they always do -- they waited. And once again, it paid off. They patiently plugged and plugged away for more than a year until the San Antonio Spurs finally surrendered Indy-born George Hill. Then they waited until impatient teams overpaid the more overhyped free agents on the market and signed West to a very reasonable two-year, $20 million deal. Both players fit their needs perfectly without breaking the bank.

Meanwhile, the Pacers still have about $14 million in cap room to play around with during the season. With so much player movement expected closer to the March trade deadline, the Pacers are perfectly positioned to be major players in the trade market while still boasting a roster that's as deep as any team in the East. Even if Indy doesn't make another move, it's not inconceivable that this team could be a top-five team in the East this season.

GRADE: A-

I like the idea of us sitting on cap room to use during the season. I'd like us to make some of those OKC deals where you pick up picks or young players to help clear a contract from someone else.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:23 pm**

Nice, i didn't know we had that much cap money to play with..

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:30 pm**

Yeah we'll sit back now and maybe make one more move like adding a Michael Redd for depth at SG and then wait and see what shakes out at the dead line then next summer around the draft we'll see moves and an accumulation of assets.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:32 pm**

^^^ Cleveland landed Kyrie Irving using this method. The caveat for them is they only had to suffer one year of Baron's contract, and then the league instituted the amnesty clause. Unfortunately we can't get that lucky. If LAC had any inclination that a bailout was right around the corner, they would have certainly held on to their unprotected 1st. Sucks for them, great for the Cavs.

I'd personally like to include our capspace in a trade designed to land a really good player already locked into a contract. (ie.. Rondo, Ellis) Obviously, we'll never sign this caliber of player as a f/a.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:41 pm**

Don't you think the Clips wish they'd kept BD and that pick and then just used the Amnesty on Davis? They'd have Irving and no Mo Williams.

We'll take a wait and see about who is out there and what teams get in over their heads with the Lux tax getting more and more harsh there will be Godfather deals to be had. I'm of the Opinion that we can get Eric Gordon at draft time I'm thinking Danny Granger, Darren Collison and a #1 pick for Gordon. We'd still have room to take on other deals.

But lets not forget we have to sign Hill and Hibbert at some point.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 9:45 pm**

^ Speaking of OKC, a guy I like a lot is James Harden. Doubt there's anyway we could ever scoop him up.

Posted: **Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:40 pm**

basketballwacko2 wrote:Don't you think the Clips wish they'd kept BD and that pick and then just used the Amnesty on Davis? They'd have Irving and no Mo Williams.

We'll take a wait and see about who is out there and what teams get in over their heads with the Lux tax getting more and more harsh there will be Godfather deals to be had. I'm of the Opinion that we can get Eric Gordon at draft time I'm thinking Danny Granger, Darren Collison and a #1 pick for Gordon. We'd still have room to take on other deals.

But lets not forget we have to sign Hill and Hibbert at some point.

Granger, Collison and a #1, are you brain damaged? It's Gordon, not freaking Jordon.

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 12:08 am**

Hoop Hunter wrote:
basketballwacko2 wrote:Don't you think the Clips wish they'd kept BD and that pick and then just used the Amnesty on Davis? They'd have Irving and no Mo Williams.

We'll take a wait and see about who is out there and what teams get in over their heads with the Lux tax getting more and more harsh there will be Godfather deals to be had. I'm of the Opinion that we can get Eric Gordon at draft time I'm thinking Danny Granger, Darren Collison and a #1 pick for Gordon. We'd still have room to take on other deals.

But lets not forget we have to sign Hill and Hibbert at some point.

Granger, Collison and a #1, are you brain damaged? It's Gordon, not freaking Jordon.

Yeah that is too much for Gordon. I am the type to sit back and let EJ sign his Q.O. with New Orleans, then in 2013 we sign him outright. I think we are a preferred destination for him so I feel confident we could get a deal done.

Ultimately, it'll probably take Granger's capspace to sign him so if the Hornets want to work a deal based solely off of Granger I'd listen. Anything more is too much considering Granger is currently a top-five sf. Is Eric Gordon top-five at his position?

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:01 am**

Boneman2 wrote:
Hoop Hunter wrote:
basketballwacko2 wrote:Don't you think the Clips wish they'd kept BD and that pick and then just used the Amnesty on Davis? They'd have Irving and no Mo Williams.

We'll take a wait and see about who is out there and what teams get in over their heads with the Lux tax getting more and more harsh there will be Godfather deals to be had. I'm of the Opinion that we can get Eric Gordon at draft time I'm thinking Danny Granger, Darren Collison and a #1 pick for Gordon. We'd still have room to take on other deals.

But lets not forget we have to sign Hill and Hibbert at some point.

Granger, Collison and a #1, are you brain damaged? It's Gordon, not freaking Jordon.

Yeah that is too much for Gordon. I am the type to sit back and let EJ sign his Q.O. with New Orleans, then in 2013 we sign him outright. I think we are a preferred destination for him so I feel confident we could get a deal done.

Ultimately, it'll probably take Granger's capspace to sign him so if the Hornets want to work a deal based solely off of Granger I'd listen. Anything more is too much considering Granger is currently a top-five sf. Is Eric Gordon top-five at his position?

If it's clear that Gordon is not gonna resign they'll make him the QO and then he's a UFA in summer 2013. We could just try to wait that out or Sign him to an offer sheet for kings ransom then sign and trade but I'm thinking it will take Granger to get him and they'll likely want more at least Collison. I wouldn't start with that offer from my other post but start at DG straight up add Collison as sweetner. Pacers then have Hill at PG and Paul George at SF with Gordo on hte SG West and Hibbert up front. Trading DG is risky but if Paul George is developed he needs to play full time.

Posted: **Tue Dec 20, 2011 2:04 am**

If we did sit back and wait for the summer 2013 Gordon could slip away, but if we did that he would be a UFA and we could then trade Danny as an expiring contract and get some additional assets depending on our salary structure.

Posted: **Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:56 pm**

by 2013 if all goes well, PG will be better than EG.

Posted: **Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:28 pm**

if you guys actually use that cap space you're my pick for surprise team of the year

Posted: **Thu Dec 22, 2011 9:34 pm**

If we need to fill out the minimum, I like that Chuck Hayes is available.

Posted: **Thu Dec 22, 2011 10:58 pm**

dice wrote:if you guys actually use that cap space you're my pick for surprise team of the year

I don't think we really need to. Don't get me wrong, looking at the deal Dalembert got is kind of frustrating as I would have liked to see us offer something similar, but aside from that we are set up for tremendous flexibility over the next couple of seasons.

I think most of us are assuming this space we have will be worked at the deadline to net us more assets (prospects and picks) which will ultimately allow us to maintain a solid roster for years to come.

Posted: **Fri Dec 23, 2011 8:51 pm**

not sure by what point in the season it's required, but the new CBA puts the minimum payroll at 49 mil. pacers are at 44 presently unless an addition has been made this week that i'm not aware of. of if ford calculated incorrectly in his article

Posted: **Fri Dec 23, 2011 9:07 pm**

dice wrote:not sure by what point in the season it's required, but the new CBA puts the minimum payroll at 49 mil. pacers are at 44 presently unless an addition has been made this week that i'm not aware of. of if ford calculated incorrectly in his article

I think amnesties count towards the minimum. Posey's contract would put us over.

Posted: **Fri Dec 23, 2011 11:24 pm**

Indy2thaWindy wrote:
dice wrote:not sure by what point in the season it's required, but the new CBA puts the minimum payroll at 49 mil. pacers are at 44 presently unless an addition has been made this week that i'm not aware of. of if ford calculated incorrectly in his article

I think amnesties count towards the minimum. Posey's contract would put us over.

amnesties don't count toward the salary cap. i'm surprised if they count toward the minimum

Posted: **Sat Dec 24, 2011 7:58 am**

I think I2TW is right. I heard they count for the minimum but not the maximum.

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