Pacers agree with Chris Copeland on two-year deal
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Chris Copeland couldn’t beat the Indiana Pacers.
Now, he’ll join them.
Copeland agreed to a two-year deal Friday night to defect from the New York Knicks, who lost to the Pacers in six games in the second round of the playoffs in May. The contract, which Copeland cannot sign until July 10, is worth $6 million, agent John Spencer told IndySportsLegends.com.
Copeland, 29, averaged 8.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 15.1 minutes per game last season as a rookie. His late-blooming career included stops in Europe and the D-League before finally landing shot in the NBA. Now Copeland has more security than ever before.
The agreement materialized after a week of talks. Copeland consented to sign on the same day the Pacers made him their first offer. Though Copeland is a restricted free agent, New York is legally forbidden from matching the offer sheet due to unique circumstances governed by rules in the league’s collective bargaining agreement.
Copeland split time between small forward and power forward under Knicks coach Mike Woodson. What his specific role will be on Indiana’s bench was not immediately clear. Copeland is expected to provide scoring punch and outside shooting prowess regardless of position. He made 42.1 percent of his 3-pointers during his debut season.
News of Copeland’s decision was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. Indiana will use a portion of its $5.15 million midlevel exception to bring Copeland into the fold.
The 6-foot-8 forward’s years of professional experience include stops in Germany, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands. He went undrafted in 2006 out of Colorado.
