Indiana Pacers power forward David West may not remain in Indiana. The 6’9″ big man just wrapped up the 12th year of his career — his 4th with the Pacers.
From Candace Buckner of IndyStar Sports:
Just in: Heard from my source that David West will not exercise his player option and will become a free agent. Story coming soon.
— Candace Buckner (@CandaceDBuckner) June 24, 2015
This comes as a bit of a surprise to me. The Pacers should finally have a healthy Paul George back next season and I, for one, was excited to see what kind of noise they could make in the playoffs. After all, when healthy, Paul George is one of the best players in the world. The Pacers are expected to switch up their play style next season and play more small-ball. The way that I had pictured that lineup included David West at center, with Paul George playing the 4.
David West admitted this season that he was considering retiring, and had been for some time. He said that he probably would have retired if the team had won a championship in 2013. The Pacers will have to hope that West decides to stay. He is an essential part of that team. He’s a tough, gritty player with a nice midrange stroke, and losing him would be a big hit to the team.
