The Indiana Pacers have agreed to sign unrestricted free agent point guard Darren Collison to a contract worth $20 million over two years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 6th.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news Monday evening:
Free agent guard Darren Collison has agreed in principle to a two-year, $20 million deal with the Indiana Pacers, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 3, 2017
Darren Collison Agrees to Two-Year Contract With Indiana Pacers
Collison’s contract will take him through the end of the 2018-19 season.
Collison averaged 13.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game last season for the Sacramento Kings. He shot a career-high 47.6 percent from the field and had an effective field goal percentage of 52.7 in his contract year, solidifying himself as a role player in Sacramento’s first year without its former star, DeMarcus Cousins. Collison played 68 regular season games last season and 74 the previous year, an improvement from the mere 45 contests he played in the 2014-15 season. He struggled with injuries throughout that campaign.
Looking forward, Collison will provide veteran leadership as the floor general role for Indiana. Collison has made a career as a reliable backup guard. He plays unselfishly, with court vision that helps create effective offense. The Pacers will need Collison to continue his production from last season in order to contend for a playoff spot next season.
Collison is going into his ninth season in the league, during which he’ll be 30 years old. Until this point, he has played for the New Orleans Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sacramento Kings. New Orleans selected Collison 21st overall in the 2009 NBA Draft.
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