Indiana Pacers Add More Firepower by Signing Aaron Brooks
By Kyle Nishida
The Indiana Pacers continued their roster overhaul July 18th by signing point guard Aaron Brooks. By making this move, head coach Nate McMillan has another scoring option off the bench.
Brooks is an eight-year NBA veteran and has played with five different teams in his career. The past two seasons, he became a decent scorer off the bench for the Chicago Bulls. The Pacers hope he have a similar impact off the bench as he did with the Bulls.
With the Bulls, Brooks proved he was capable of running the team’s offensive scheme. He constantly created scoring opportunities for himself and others. He ended up averaging 9.6 points, 2.9 assists and 1.8 rebounds in two seasons with the team.
The news of the Indiana Pacers signing Brooks was first reported by The Vertical‘s Shams Charania.
Free agent guard Aaron Brooks has agreed to a one-year, $2.5 million deal with Indiana, signing this week, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 18, 2016
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The one-year, $2.5 million contract is a very cap-friendly deal for the Pacers. The deal keeps them below the salary cap limit. Meanwhile, the one-year deal allows the front office to still be flexible throughout the season and after his contract ends following the 2016-17 season.
When team President Larry Bird said he wanted to build a team that could score more points, he was not kidding. Every move Bird has made this offseason has turned the Pacers into a formidable offensive team. The addition of Aaron Brooks is his latest example.
The Pacers know have two point guards who can create scoring opportunities without McMillan needing to call specific plays. Jeff Teague did this as a starter with the Atlanta Hawks, and Brooks did this with the Bulls.
Roster flexibly is always good to have in the NBA. The addition of Brooks gives the Pacers that luxury. Brooks can be the primary point guard off the bench and play with Monta Ellis. Meanwhile, Brooks can also play off the ball which makes playing alongside Teague also an option.
Also, Brooks’ presence also means the Indiana Pacers do not have to play Ellis at point guard. Ellis played point guard at times for the Pacers last season, but there is no longer an immediate for him to do it in the 2016-17 season.
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The Indiana Pacers were already one of the winners in this 2016 free agent period. The acquisition of Aaron Brooks is merely icing on the cake. It will be interesting to see how McMillan uses the weapons he now has on this roster.