Indiana Pacers Land Key Free Agent in David West and May Not Be Finished Yet

The Indiana Pacers scored a major victory in the free agent market by landing David West, an eight-year veteran with the New Orleans Hornets. 

He will be reunited with former teammate Darren Collison, who himself played for the Hornets in 2009-10.  However, a third ex-Hornets teammate, James Posey, has been released under the NBA's amnesty clause and will not rejoin the Pacers this season. 

Posey will get his $7.5 million salary, which won't count against the team's cap.  As of now, he can become an eligible free agent, since no team has reportedly claimed him off waivers. 

The Pacers may not be through dealing yet, though they were discouraged when they learned OJ Mayo wanted to stay in Memphis.

This revelation nixed the trade that would have sent him to Indianapolis for Carmel native Josh McRoberts and Brandon Rush.  The Pacers had also attempted to get Mayo in

a three-way deal last year involving New Orleans, but the Hornets called it off at the last minute.  

McRoberts has since signed a two-year, $6 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Rush remains with the Pacers. 

So, where do the Pacers look next?  They have considered Paul Millsap, a five-year veteran at power forward for the Utah Jazz, but they already have West in that role. 

Unless Millsap is willing to become one of the NBA's premier sixth men, his chances of being a Pacer are null and void. 

Carl Landry, a Purdue graduate, and Andrei Kirilenko continue to be other acquisition possibilities, although the latter, Millsap's teammate in Utah, played basketball in Russia during the lockout and is coming off an injury-plagued season.