INDIANAPOLIS -- He's not Paul George, but it will due: The Indiana Pacers on Friday signed small forward Bojan Bogdanovic to a two-year, $21 million contract, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bogdanovic is in his fourth year in the NBA, and his contract was recently denounced by the Washington Wizards, who needed to free up cap space for their own moves, making him a free agent. The Pacers promptly scooped him up.
The Pacers have been in need of a small forward presence to fill minutes since Paul George's departure.
Bogdanovic, 28, has averaged 25 minutes per game in his three-year career with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, but joined the NBA late from overseas. Bogdanovic was the 31st overall pick in the 2011 draft, but didn't play in the NBA until 2014-15 due to contractual obligations in Europe.
Bogdanovic now calls Croatia his home nation, but the 6-foot-8-inch, 216-pounder is a Bosnian native. He shoots about average for the league, recording a career 44 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range.
He excels from the free throw line, shooting 86 percent for his career, but doesn't get there frequently, averaging just two attempts per game.
He doesn't do a whole lot else to fill up the stat sheet, averaging just 3.1 rebounds per game and 1.2 assists per game, but he is considered durable and without any major injury since joining the League.
Again, it's not Paul George, but he should provide reliable scoring minutes for a rebuilding Pacers team that is going to have to redistribute roles amongst almost its entire starting lineup for 2017-18.
The Pacers lineup is going to look a lot different next year, with a major question mark at the Power Forward Position as to who starts and who fills minutes.
PG - Darren Collison (NEW) / Back-up: Joe Young/Edmond Sumner(NEW)
SG - Victor Oladipo (NEW) / Back-up: Lance Stephenson
SF - Bojan Bogdanovic (NEW) / Back-up: Glenn Robinson
PF - Thad Young or Domantas Sabonis (NEW) (Rookie TJ Leaf will also likely take minutes)
C - Myles Turner / Back-up: Al Jefferson (NEW)
Washington has now renounced Bojan Bogdanovic, freeing him to join Pacers on the two-year, $21M deal, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 7, 2017
