NBA Roster Rumors: Trevor Booker To Sign With The Indiana Pacers
The Philadelphia 76ers had to waive Trevor Booker on Wednesday to make room for sharp-shooting forward Ersan Ilyasova on the 15-man active roster, but it seems another contender in the Eastern Conference is just waiting to pick him up as soon as he clears waivers on Friday.
According to Yahoo Sports' Shams Charania, Booker is expected to sign a minimum deal with the Indiana Pacers for the rest of the season. The veteran forward has also hinted that he is heading to Indiana.
After a solid season with the Brooklyn Nets, Booker was shipped to the Sixers last December as part of the Jahlil Okafor trade. The veteran big man continued to contribute solid numbers off the bench as a member of the Sixers, but his playing time was limited due to the presence of Dario Šarić, Amir Johnson, and Richaun Holmes.
In 51 games with the Nets and Sixers this season, Booker averaged 6.6 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in under 18 minutes per contest. He also shot 53.3 percent from the field, 26.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 68.3 percent from the free-throw line.
With the Pacers, Booker should see significant playing time at power forward behind starter Thaddeus Young, although Domantas Sabonis will likely take some minutes away from him as well.
"It was uncertain how much playing time Booker would earn with Indiana, but the Pacers have been seeking a defensive-minded forward to strengthen their frontcourt depth and rebounding. The Pacers were 19th in the NBA in rebounding entering Wednesday night's games. Booker will likely be given an opportunity to work his way into the rotation once he gets acclimated," Clifton Brown said in his column for the Indianapolis Star.
"His role will be to add rebounding and defensive depth off the bench for the Pacers as they make their playoff push," he added.
