Indiana Pacers Release Monta Ellis; Discuss Sign-and-Trade Involving C.J. Miles

By Noriel See, Christian Post Contributor Friday, July 07, 2017

The Indiana Pacers' primary goal this offseason is simple. All they have to do is to find a way to convince Paul George to stay. To do that, they have to show the All-Star forward that they could build a team around him that could stay competitive for years to come. Unfortunately, George has other plans and the rest is history.

Well, convincing him to stay is never an easy task to begin with anyway. Now it's back to square one for the Pacers and the rebuilding begins this offseason.

The team has already released veteran guard Monta Ellis and seldom-used power forward Rakeem Christmas to free up cap space. And according to 1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson, the Pacers are also discussing a potential sign-and-trade deal involving C.J. Miles with several teams.

Wolfson specifically mentioned that the Minnesota Timberwolves are one of the teams interested in Miles, and he said he heard one option is to package Cole Aldrich and a 2018 first-round draft pick (originally belonging to the Oklahoma City Thunder) for the sharpshooter.

Unlike the Timberwolves' other targets like Gerald Green and Mike Dunleavy Jr., Miles happens to be a solid defensive player as well. Timberwolves president/head coach Tom Thibodeau likes players who can defend, so Miles will likely be high on his list of potential acquisitions as they continue to retool their roster.

Meanwhile, USA Today's Sam Amick has reported that the Pacers have been trying to clear some cap room to sign Kelly Olynyk, but the stretch big man has decided to sign with the Miami Heat instead.

The Pacers have been linked to center Willie Reed and point guard Cory Joseph as well, though no deal has materialized so far. Both players would be welcome additions to a team that's looking to get back on its feet.