Indiana Pacers After Chris Copeland, Should Trade Danny Granger


 

Curtis Wilson-USA TODAY Sports

The Indiana Pacers appear to have their first 2013 NBA Free Agency target in sight: New York Knicks forward Chris Copeland.

The 29 year old second year pro is coming off of a great rookie season in which he played a huge part in the Knicks playoff run. Yes, I said 29 year old second year pro.

Copeland spent a year in the NBAD-League and five years in Europe playing for a variety of teams after graduating from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006. He was a nice find for New York last year as he came in with tons of energy and was able to knock down shots.

In just short of 16 minutes per game in 2012, Copeland shot the ball extremely well, finishing the year on 48 percent shooting. From beyond the arc he was deadly, shooting the three ball at 42 percent. He is a smart player who brings energy and hustle to the table along with his scoring abilities.

The Pacers could use a guy like Copeland in place of Danny Granger, who missed a portion of the season last year due to season-ending surgery. If Indiana is able to land Copeland, they better think about throwing Granger on the trade block. Copeland will come cheaper and will be able to contribute as a rotation player, just as Granger would now that Paul George is the starter.

Not only is Indiana interested in their Easter Conference rival’s free agent, but Copeland appears interested in joining the Pacers as well.

 

 

If the two sides can come to an agreement, the Pacers will have done well already in the early stages of free agency. Copeland gives them another dimension to their offense with decent size and great scoring ability. Look for the talks to heat up in the next few hours and it is quite possible that Copeland agrees to a deal.

Ryan Heckman is a Senior NBA Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter  @ryanmheckman, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.



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