NBA Rumors: Pacers Would Be Wise to Spend Big on Roy Hibbert

The Indiana Pacers would have preferred to re-sign Roy Hibbert for a bargain this offseason, but that's not how things have worked out.

The Portland Trail Blazers, apparently realizing Hibbert was an up-and-coming true center, offered the 25-year-old $58 million over four years, and now the Pacers must match that in order to keep the 7'2", 260 pound big man.

According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, the Pacers are set to do just that:

"

The Pacers are matching Portland's 4-year, $58 million offer to Roy Hibbert, according to a source

— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNBA) July 9, 2012"

It would be a step in the wrong direction if the Pacers allowed the Trail Blazers to steal Hibbert away. Indiana is coming off an impressive campaign that saw the team rise as a whole and make it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. They took the eventual champion Miami Heat to Game 6.

The last thing they want to do is lose their starting center.

Hibbert not only averaged 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks this past season, he averaged 11.7 points, 11.2 rebounds and 3.1 blocks in the playoffs. He became a true threat defending the paint as Indiana held opponents to 43.5 percent shooting during the regular season (sixth-best in the NBA).

On top of that, Hibbert showed an improved offensive game (shooting a career-high 49.7 percent) as well as a career-high rebound rate (16.6) and PER (19.3), via BasketballReference.com.

According to ESPN Stats and Information, the Pacers were plus-7.2 per 48 minutes when Hibbert was on the floor last season, and they were negative-9.0 per 48 minutes when he was on the bench. Signs point to him having an even better career moving forward.

So, despite the hefty price tag for a player just beginning to realize his potential, it's a no-brainer for the Pacers. Keeping Hibbert solidifies the center spot for another four years and could pay off big in their quest for an NBA title.

Follow me on Twitter. We can talk about the NBA together.