Pacers want David West back 'as much as you can want anyone back'
The Indiana Pacers could potentially lose David West in free agency this offseason, but they want to re-sign him. They're very upfront.
By
Zach Harper
•
2 min read
The Indiana Pacers appear to be back to being one of the powerhouse teams in the NBA. After a 49-win season and the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers came within one win of making the NBA Finals. They ended up losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals by a wide margin to the Miami Heat but have a lot of positive momentum going forward with the franchise.
Indiana has to be careful with the next steps it takes as an organization in shaping the roster, but it has plenty of options. With Danny Granger entering the final year of his contract and David West hitting free agency this summer, the roster could end up looking different than the scrappy bunch we saw over the last two months. If the Pacers have their way, West will certainly be back with the same core that earned so much success during the playoffs over the past two months. They want him back "as much as you can want anyone back." From the Indianapolis Star:
This year’s key free agent is veteran power forward David West. Team president Donnie Walsh and general manager Kevin Pritchard made that clear this morning in a news conference.
“We want him back as much as you can want anyone back,” Walsh said. “We think he’s one of the anchors of the team.”
Added Pritchard: “(West) knows we’re in a great position moving forward. He’s priority No. 1 and come July 1 (the start of free agency) we’ll have a lot of conversations.”
West made his feelings crystal clear right after the Pacers' loss to the Heat in Game 7. He wants to stay with the Pacers and continue to grow with that core group of individuals. Even if some people don't believe they have much of a shot at challenging the Heat next year or the year after because of star limitations, they seem intent on believing they will be right there with the elite teams of the NBA if they keep this core together.
With both sides so open about their intentions of wanting to stay together, it will be interesting to see what the negotiation process is. Will there even be a bidding war between the Pacers and another suitor if West is so adamant publicly about sticking around? Will the team bend to give him a big price tag even if it hurts their ability to add to a very weak bench? Will a big price tag for West cause them to look to move Granger?
This mutual public interest with West and the Pacers answers questions, but it could also bring up new ones.
