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2017 NBA free agency grades: Indiana Pacers to sign Darren Collison

By Adrian Lawhorn

NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 04: Darren Collison #7 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 4, 2016 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - DECEMBER 04: Darren Collison #7 of the Sacramento Kings dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden on December 4, 2016 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Indiana Pacers and point guard Darren Collison have agreed to a two-year, $20 million contract.

The Indiana Pacers have had a tough offseason thus far, losing Paul George via trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Jeff Teague via free agency to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Indiana has been on the hunt for a new starting point guard to replace Teague, and that search has led them to former Pacer Darren Collison.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN was the first to report the deal between the Pacers and Collison, which will be a two-year contract worth $20 million.

Darren Collison will be entering his ninth NBA season this fall; he was originally a first round draft pick of the New Orleans Hornets in 2009.

Collison had a previous stint with the Indiana Pacers from 2010-12, averaging 11.9 points, 5.0 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.

He spent the last three years in a Sacramento Kings uniform, and he improved both his two-point and three-point shooting accuracy during that time.

The starting point guard duties will likely fall to Darren Collison, who is a solid veteran player that can provide leadership and a steady hand to a team transitioning toward a younger roster.

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Collison is more of a scoring point guard, although his ability to run a team and make plays for teammates is more than adequate.

One deficiency Darren Collison has is his size, at 6’0″ and 175 pounds. He possesses good quickness and speed, but because he is so small, he can be a liability on defense at times.

The level that Collison has achieved as an NBA player could be described as a starter on a young/rebuilding team, or a quality reserve on a contending club.

Collison is a nice fit for the Pacers, and his two years of previous experience playing with the team will be of benefit as well. He clearly likes the idea of coming back to play in Indiana, and that is important, especially now.

The Pacers were in great need of a competent point guard to fill Jeff Teague’s shoes, and they got one at a reasonable cost.

Darren Collison will help the Pacers stay in the battle for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, while also providing a short-term backcourt solution until the team can find a young lead guard prospect to develop.

Re-signing Jeff Teague or acquiring a higher-level free agent such as Jrue Holiday would have been ideal for Indiana, but those players were ultimately much too expensive and may have had only a passing interest in playing for the Pacers going forward.

Darren Collison doesn’t represent a major-impact signing, but he fills a need and should provide good production for the moderate financial investment Indiana has made in him.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Adding Collison is a good way to start the post-Paul George era; if the team can also add some talent at the small forward position, the Pacers could potentially be right back where they were last season as a lower-rung playoff hopeful.

Grade: B

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