The Indiana Pacers have signed veteran guard Delon Wright to a training camp contract, the team announced on Saturday. Wright finished last season with the New York Knicks, even playing a small part in their playoff run to the Eastern Conference finals, which was ultimately ended by the Pacers.
Wright appeared in 14 regular-season games and six playoff games with New York after beginning the year with the Milwaukee Bucks. His move to New York was lumped in with the giant four-team trade that swapped Khris Middleton for Kyle Kuzma. But now, he’s onto new pastures and will look to find a home in Indy.
But that might prove more difficult than it meets the eye.
Should the Pacers sign Delon Wright?
Wright has spent a full decade in the NBA, playing for 10 different teams along the way. He spent most of his time with the Toronto Raptors (four years), and also played two seasons with the Washington Wizards. Outside of that, every other team he played for has been a one-year stint. And even some of those numbers are flawed.
Though he technically made appearances for the Raptors in four seasons, he was traded halfway through the final. The same can be said about his second year in Washington. In total, Wright has been traded six times throughout the course of his career.
But the question remains: Should the Pacers sign Wright right now? And unfortunately, the answer is far more complicated than simply yes or no.
During his 40-game season last year, split between the Bucks and Knicks, Wright played 15.9 minutes per contest. He averaged 3.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.9 assists while shooting 34.4% from the floor and 27.7% from deep.
His efficiency was obviously rough last season, though he has been a solid three-point shooter during his 10-year career. And there was a reason Tom Thibodeau trotted him out in the ECF. He knows how to play.
The problem is, the Pacers already have a full 15-man roster. If they wanted to sign Wright, they would have to cut one of the guys they already have on board.
Perhaps Wright, or one of Indiana’s other training camp guys, impresses enough for them to make that move, but right now, it seems relatively unlikely.
Still, having him on board for training camp will provide the Pacers with a solid veteran presence to help out the young guys.