"Miller longs for his Indiana home
Kings center misses ex-teammates, hopes to be a Pacer again
By Mark Montieth
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Brad Miller was in the Indiana Pacers' locker room after their win over Sacramento on Sunday before most of the Pacers were out of the shower.
He looked as if he belonged. He only wishes he did.
Miller, traded from Indiana to the Kings in 2003 when the negotiations for his contract spiraled out of the Pacers' self-imposed financial reach, is happy in Sacramento. He's thriving on the court, too, averaging 14.9 points on 52 percent shooting and leading the team in rebounding (7.
and assists (5.5).
He'd be happier, however, with the Pacers, for whom he played 11/2 seasons. That's why, following their 25-point victory at Arco Arena, he all but closed his eyes, clicked his heels, and said, "There's no place like home" as he stood in their locker room.
"If it's possible, when I'm done with this, I'll try to finish up there," Miller said. "There won't be an issue of a contract. Whatever it takes. I'll take the minimum."
The minimum? Miller's contract, which does not expire until after the 2009-10 season, will pay him about $68 million. A minimum contract would be quite a drop. By then, however, Miller will be 34 and have more money than he ever dreamed of having.
"I got more money saved up now than what I can spend the rest of my life," he said. "I'd have to buy the whole state of Indiana to spend what I got."
Miller seems intent on doing just that. He already has bought several hundred acres of land in and around Kendallville, where he grew up, and is looking for 400 more on which to build a home.
He spends most of his offseason there, and will be heading there over the All-Star break. He's hoping to go ice fishing.
Miller still is a bit dumbfounded at the turn of events that made him a King. Born in Fort Wayne, raised in Kendallville and a product of East Noble High School and Purdue, he was thrilled when he was traded from Chicago to the Pacers in February 2002 as part of a seven-player deal that also brought Ron Artest to the Pacers.
He walked into CEO Donnie Walsh's office his first day with the franchise and said he wanted to sign an extension right there to ensure he would finish his career in Indiana. That was impossible under league rules, however, and when Miller's contract expired in 2003, the market had shifted out of reach for the Pacers, who were intent not to pay the luxury tax.
The best the Pacers could do was work a sign-and-trade with help from Miller's agent, Mark Bartelstein, in which the Pacers received Scot Pollard.
"They never really made an offer," Miller said of the Pacers. "I was wanting to get it done quick.
"If they hadn't paid Jeff all that money . . ."
Miller said that for the benefit of Jeff Foster, who was passing by at the moment. Foster is one of his best friends in the NBA, and the two are in frequent contact. Miller exchanged greetings with former teammates Jermaine O'Neal and Austin Croshere, and joked with people who weren't with the Pacers in his time there, such as Pollard, assistant coach Kevin O'Neill and Sarunas Jasikevicius.
Miller only wishes he could spend more time with them.
"One day, I'll hopefully get back there and wear these new (Pacers) uniforms, instead of the old pinstripes," he said."
Not the original link. I couldn't find it, but I remember this article. I hope he still feels this way. I would love to see Brad back in Indy, even if he'd be 34 then.
