Monta Ellis opted out of the final year of his contract with the Mavericks before the start of free agency, and already he has plenty of suitors. Chief among them are the Paces, according to Yahoo’s Adrian Wojnarowski:
Free agent guard Monta Ellis is gathering traction in talks with the Indiana Pacers, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2015
Larry Bird has been determined to secure Monta Ellis, and Pacers pushing hard to close a deal with him, league sources tell Yahoo.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2015
The Pacers and Ellis’ camp haven’t met face-to-face yet, but they will on Wednesday, according to USA Today‘s Jeff Zillgitt:
Pacers will get chance to put full-court press on free-agent guard Monta Ellis when the two sides meet Wednesday during the day.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) July 1, 2015
CBS Sports’ Ken Berger added that the Nuggets, Kings and Hawks have also made calls on Ellis, with the Heat a possibility if Dwyane Wade leaves:
In addition to Pacers, the Hawks, Nuggets and Kings calling on Monta Ellis, source says. With Dwyane Wade in limbo, Heat could be factor.
— Ken Berger (@KBergNBA) July 1, 2015
Of the teams reported to be interested in Ellis, the Pacers seem like the best fit. They’ll have a healthy Paul George (knock on wood) but not much else in the way of scoring, especially if Rodney Stuckey leaves. Ellis could fill a hole in the backcourt. What will be interesting to see is how much money Ellis gets, and for how many years. He’s 29, so he’s still in his prime, but he’s a streaky player and not a great defender. He’s not the kind of player you’d feel comfortable locking up for four years, at least not for much more than the $8 million annual salary he was making in Dallas. On a shorter-term deal, a raise into eight-figure territory could make sense.
