Earlier in the day on Thursday, the Pacers traded for Syracuse big man Rakeem Christmas from the Cavaliers. Christmas was a second-round pick in last month’s draft, and the Cavs needed to get a pick to move Brendan Haywood’s contract. Now, the Pacers have wasted no time in signing Christmas to a four-year deal with the first two years guaranteed, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer‘s Chris Haynes:
Rakeem Christmas, Pacers reached agreement on four-year, $4.5 million deal, league sources tell @clevelanddotcom. Two years guaranteed.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) July 23, 2015
Christmas will have a bigger opportunity to get minutes in Indiana than he would have in Cleveland, and the Pacers clearly think highly of the rookie if they were willing to guarantee his first two years as a second-round pick.