David West is one of the stars of the Eastern Conference finals. The Indiana Pacers power forward has emerged as one of the better players on the court during the team's series with the Miami Heat and as free agency approaches, West is likely to generate a lot of attention. The soon-to-be 33-year old may have already decided on what he will do for the 2013-14 season. West implied that he intends on re-signing with the Pacers this summer.
West has been a crucial factor in Indiana's run through the playoffs. He is currently in the final year of a two-year, $20 million contract signed back in 2011. He ideally wants to remain with the team.
"Yeah. I love what we've been able to accomplish in the lockout season and this full season. And I just pretty much love how this group has grown together since I've been there. I don't think we can officially negotiate before July 1. But these guys know that I'm with them for the future," West said following the Game 5 loss on Thursday.
West signed with the Pacers in December of 2011 after he tore his ACL during his final season with the New Orleans Hornets. After getting completely healthy, the Pacers stepped in with the best offer during free agency. He has been one of the most dominant players for the young team. He started every game during the lockout year and has played a majority of this season. During the regular season, he averaged 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. While his regular season was impressive, he has become a star during the playoffs.
West was recently fined $5,000 for flopping during Game 4. He and LeBron James have had a heated matchup throughout the series and as things got testy, both were penalized. He has also accused Shane Battier was playing dirty after claiming he was purposefully using his knees to beat off defenders while in mid-air.
The series is expected to follow the heated trend as Game 6 heads back to Indiana. Miami took a series lead on Thursday night and will look to punch their ticket to the finals this weekend. Whoever comes out of the Eastern Conference will meet up with the San Antonio Spurs who wrapped up the Western Conference after defeating the Memphis Grizzlies.
