The Indiana Pacers suffered a tough series loss against the Miami Heat in the Eastern conference finals in the playoffs earlier in the week and with free agency approaching, the team is ready to try and sign forward David West back with the franchise.
According to ESPN.com, West has indicated that he would like to stay with the Pacers one season after averaging 17.1 points and 7.7 rebounds and being a key part of the playoffs run, but depending on how the money works out, there is a chance he could bolt. The 33-year-old will receive attention from the Clippers, as some speculate that he will want to play with former teammate Chris Paul, but he has also indicated that he would like to stay in Indy next year.
Following the Game 7 loss to the Heat in the playoffs, West said that he couldn't see himself going anywhere else and that the Pacers give him the chance to be on one of the best teams in the East. The Pacers are a small market team and West will be in great demand as a free agent, which could complicate matters. West will be trying to sign with a team that just gave out contracts to Roy Hibbert and George Hill last season and with Paul George and Lance Stephenson preparing for paydays themselves, the Pacers may have to sacrifice signing West.
The team has a number of key decisions to make this offseason, including deciding on what to do with injured star Danny Granger, who missed all but five games this season with knee injuries. Granger was the top scorer for the team over the past five years, but now his future is in question and with George proving to be the best player on the Pacers in the playoffs while averaging nearly 20 points, it will be an interesting issue to figure out. Stephenson broke out this season as well and the team has tons of depth, but the money could end up breaking that apart.
Granger is expecting to be back in the starting lineup this year, while coach Frank Vogel wants to take a wait and see approach, but the franchise might not be comfortable with a $14 million player coming off the bench. The team took the central division this year and was able to defeat the Knicks in the playoffs while being one of the best defensive teams in the league and West was a big part of that. If the Pacers lose West they could go after some other free agents, but the priority for the team is to keep West in Indiana for the long term if they can fork out the details.
