Report: Pacers bringing back Darren Collison, working on buyout for Monta Ellis

According to multiple reports, the Pacers agreed terms with free agent point guard Darren Collison on a 2-year, $20 million contract, with the second year only partially guaranteed.

So the Pacers continue recycling former guards as Collison joins Lance Stephenson in the backcourt rotation that would presumably see Collison step in as a starter for the suddenly rebuilding Pacers.

Collison spent the past three years with the Kings, averaging 13.2 points and 4.6 assists in 68 games last season. He missed eight games at the start of the season serving a suspension levied by the league after he pleaded guilty to domestic abuse prior to the season.

Also of note, the Pacers are reportedly working on a deal to buyout the remaining contract for Monta Ellis. With the team in full rebuild mode, Ellis no longer fills a needed role and didn’t do himself any favors with the front office after getting tagged with a 5-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.

Collison certainly wouldn’t be my first choice for running the team next season, but his signing further emphasizes the team’s direction of developing the young players while not concerning themselves with too many wins. The cap space for that second year could be annoying, but we’ll have to wait to see how the details of the deal shake out.

Collison is another UCLA guy, joining rookies T.J. Leaf and Ike Anigbogu as former Bruins on the roster. Maybe the Pacers are trying to load up Bruins to make a run at Russell Westbrook next summer. Sorry, it’s hard making sense in this new mixed up Pacers’ world.