Indianapolis, July 23, 2003 -- Unable to come to contract terms with Brad Miller, the Pacers reportedly are close to a three-team, four-player trade that would send the free agent to Sacramento in exchange for Kings center Scot Pollard.
ESPN reported the third team involved in the sign-and-trade deal would be San Antonio, with the Spurs acquiring Ron Mercer from the Pacers and Hedo Turkoglu from the Kings.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh had no comment on the report.
“We’re not ready to make an announcement on anything,” he said Wednesday evening, “but we feel like we have good options.”
Pollard, 28, is a 6-10, 265-pound center with a strong reputation as a defender and rebounder. He had 13 points and 16 rebounds against the Pacers in a 103-96 Kings victory in Conseco Fieldhouse on April 1. Though he missed 59 games with a stress fracture in his lower back last season, Pollard returned to play the final 18 games, averaging 15.3 minutes, 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Miller had been courted heavily by Utah and Denver, with both franchises offering six-year contracts. The Jazz reportedly had offered at least $55 million and the Nuggets $49 million, though there were reports Wednesday that both teams either had upped their ante or expressed a willingness to do so.
Mercer
B. Miller
By agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal, Miller would gain an additional year on his contract, making it a seven-year deal, then be dealt to a contending team in Sacramento.
Mercer is entering the final year of a contract that reportedly would pay him $6.75 million, so the Pacers would not only acquire a potential starting center, but reduce their 2003-04 payroll in the process. Turkoglu also is entering the final season of his contract, meaning San Antonio would be able to clear salary space after next season in order to re-sign free agents Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Kings President Geoff Petrie acknowledged only that he had been involved in trade talks, refusing to divulge any specifics.
"You can rest assured that if there is a quality player out there that we thought could help our team, we've probably talked to him,” Petrie told the Sacramento Bee.
Asked if Miller fit that description, Petrie said, "Well, the guy was an All-Star last year."
With Vlade Divac, 35, entering the final season of his contract, the Kings apparently will turn to Miller as his successor.
ESPN reported the third team involved in the sign-and-trade deal would be San Antonio, with the Spurs acquiring Ron Mercer from the Pacers and Hedo Turkoglu from the Kings.
Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh had no comment on the report.
“We’re not ready to make an announcement on anything,” he said Wednesday evening, “but we feel like we have good options.”
Pollard, 28, is a 6-10, 265-pound center with a strong reputation as a defender and rebounder. He had 13 points and 16 rebounds against the Pacers in a 103-96 Kings victory in Conseco Fieldhouse on April 1. Though he missed 59 games with a stress fracture in his lower back last season, Pollard returned to play the final 18 games, averaging 15.3 minutes, 5.4 points and 5.4 rebounds.
Miller had been courted heavily by Utah and Denver, with both franchises offering six-year contracts. The Jazz reportedly had offered at least $55 million and the Nuggets $49 million, though there were reports Wednesday that both teams either had upped their ante or expressed a willingness to do so.
Mercer
B. Miller
By agreeing to a sign-and-trade deal, Miller would gain an additional year on his contract, making it a seven-year deal, then be dealt to a contending team in Sacramento.
Mercer is entering the final year of a contract that reportedly would pay him $6.75 million, so the Pacers would not only acquire a potential starting center, but reduce their 2003-04 payroll in the process. Turkoglu also is entering the final season of his contract, meaning San Antonio would be able to clear salary space after next season in order to re-sign free agents Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
Kings President Geoff Petrie acknowledged only that he had been involved in trade talks, refusing to divulge any specifics.
"You can rest assured that if there is a quality player out there that we thought could help our team, we've probably talked to him,” Petrie told the Sacramento Bee.
Asked if Miller fit that description, Petrie said, "Well, the guy was an All-Star last year."
With Vlade Divac, 35, entering the final season of his contract, the Kings apparently will turn to Miller as his successor.
