Indiana Pacers: 10 best shooting guards in Indiana Pacers history

9. Monta Ellis

Technically, the Indiana Pacers are still paying Monta Ellis until 2022, despite the fact that he was waived years ago and hasn’t played a game since 2017.

Ellis recently closed an impressive career that peaked in 2011 with the Golden State Warriors. In just his sophomore season, Ellis had won the Most Improved Player of the Year Award. After his 7-year run with the Warriors, Ellis played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks, then signing a four-year deal with the Pacers in the 2015 offseason.

He would slot in at the two as Paul George’s tenure with the Pacers was winding down. His first season with Indiana was solid, posting an average of 13.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game. He took a major step back in his second year, averaging 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.

With George requesting a trade, the Pacers decided to waive Ellis, no longer matching the direct timeline for the team’s vision and having lost a major step in his playing career.

8. Butch Carter

Butch Carter was a short-lived starting shooting guard for the Pacers in the early 80s, acquired from the Los Angeles Lakers in return for a third-round pick in 1981.

Carter, who ultimately would become a journeyman over the course of his seven-year career, played most of his games with Indiana (229).

Averaging 9.9 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game, Carter highlighted the start of the Pacers “forgotten” era, where they struggled to pave their way in the first several years as a part of the NBA following the ABA merger.

Carter, for the era he played in, had a decent shot, sinking 32.8 percent of his 3-point attempts, and 48.5 percent of his field-goal attempts. The Pacers would eventually trade him for a second-round pick.