The Dallas Mavericks are having a great free agency period so far, acquiring center DeAndre Jordan and guard Wesley Matthews. But they will no longer have the services of veteran guard Monta Ellis, who has agreed to a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers.
In a report by ESPN, Ellis' agent said the agreement reached Thursday was worth $44 million, with a player option after the third year.
ESPN added that Pacers president Larry Bird pushed the deal with the 11-season veteran. Bird had a dinner with Ellis, 29, and other team representatives.
Ellis turned down a much bigger offer from the Sacramento Kings for a four-year, $48-million deal, sources said. The Kings also got denied in their attempt to sign up Matthews, who chose to join the Mavericks for a less lucrative offer.
Along with attraction of playing for a team that was a possible Eastern Conference contender, Ellis also considered the location of the Pacers since it was near his wife's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, ESPN reported.
ESPN added that Juanika, Ellis' wife, was planning to go to a law school in Indiana, and the 2007 NBA Most Improved Player's children were also living in Memphis.
"This is absolutely the best fit for Monta on the court and Monta's family off the court and in all circumstances involving a young family. Our goal was to have the entire family unit come out winners on this deal, and that is what we believe we accomplished," ESPN quoted Ellis' agent Jeff Fried as saying.
Last season, Ellis played in his second year with the Mavs and led the team in scoring, the first player to do so other than forward Dirk Nowitzki since 1999-2000, as he averaged 18.9 points per game.
Ellis improved his offensive performance in their first-round series loss against the Houston Rockets as he averaged 26 points in five games.
