Report: Pacers tried to recruit Granger

At the Miami Heat's media day on Friday, former Pacer, Danny Granger, revealed that he underwent knee surgery back in July:

Danny Granger had knee surgery two months ago. So ... that doesn't sound good for the Heat.

— Joseph Goodman (@JoeGoodmanJr) September 26, 2014

The new Miami Heat forward then, per usual, reassured the media that he would be ready to go for the team's regular season opener on October 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans.

Fans of the Pacers, of course, are certainly no strangers to Danny Granger's struggle to return to form as well as his routine expressions of confidence that he would be back playing with his team sooner rather than later. The former All-Star appeared in just fives games for the Pacers during the 2012-13 season and missed extended time at the beginning of last season due to a strained calf.

While painfully observing the nine-year Pacer's injury strife may not exactly be anything new to fans of the Blue-and-Gold, Granger's next admission at the Heat's media day was far more eye-opening:

Danny Granger said the Pacers tried to recruit him back to Indy in free agency. "Didn't work out."

— Jason Lieser (@PBPjasonlieser) September 26, 2014

Reacquiring the lifelong Pacer after shipping him off to Philadelphia in exchange for Evan Turner would have been a major mea culpa for Indiana's front office.

After being bought out by the Philadelphia 76ers, Granger joined the Los Angeles Clippers for the remainder of the 2014 season where he averaged 8 points on 42.9% shooting and continued to struggle to fully regain his mobility and lift. Meanwhile, Turner never exactly found his footing in Indiana as a reserve, and by the time the playoffs arrived he found himself replaced in the rotation by 35 year-old NBA journeyman, Rasual Butler.

Alas, what is done is done, and, as Granger stated, extending his stay as a Pacer just, "didn't work out."

Fortunately for the former All-Star, he has now positioned himself on a team that is well-acquainted with nursing and monitoring balky knees:

Oden…I mean Granger assured everyone he was fine, though. He'll be ready for the season.

— Joseph Goodman (@JoeGoodmanJr) September 26, 2014

Granger said he is on maintanance program like Wade was but expects to play in second half of back to backs. Said embraces sixth man role

— Barry Jackson (@flasportsbuzz) September 26, 2014

The next time Indiana fans can catch Danny Granger at Bankers Life Fieldhouse will be on Wednesday December 31, this time as a member of the Miami Heat.