Indiana Pacers sign big man Bennie Boatwright to contract

The Indiana Pacers introduced on Friday that they’ve signed large man Bennie Boatwright to a contract.

Boatwright, a frontcourt participant who has but to play in an NBA common season sport, has prior ties to the Pacers group. He has performed on the Pacers summer season league staff for 2 consecutive journeys to Vegas, and he spent at some point with the membership throughout coaching camp in 2022. In the newest summer season league, he averaged 6.7 factors and three.3 rebounds per sport in three appearances for the blue and gold.

Most of Boatwright’s expertise inside the Pacers group comes within the G League. He performed for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana’s G League affiliate, this previous season, the place he averaged 14.5 factors and 11.5 rebounds per sport underneath head coach Tom Hankins. Hankins can also be an assistant coach for the Pacers.

Boatwright attended the College of Southern California and spent 4 seasons with the Trojans. He went undrafted in 2019 earlier than being scooped up as a free agent by the Memphis Grizzlies. One yr later, he made his preseason debut for Memphis. In whole, Boatwright appeared in two preseason video games, the place he scored 5 factors and grabbed 4 rebounds.

Boatwright is a reasonably cell large man for his measurement. At 6-foot-10-inches, the frontcourt participant is tall sufficient to hold within the submit, however his mobility permits him to be efficient on the perimeter. Whereas it is not a dependable weapon on a nightly foundation, the previous Grizzly is a good three-point shooter — he is knocked down 35.7 p.c of his exterior pictures within the G League.

Boatwright was signed similtaneously a number of different Pacers signees over the weekend. These strikes introduced the staff’s roster to twenty gamers, the utmost allowed for the offseason. Indiana’s roster is now full forward of coaching camp, that means they can not make any additions except they waive or commerce a participant.

Right now, it’s unclear how sturdy Boatwright’s likelihood is of creating the Pacers last roster for the common season. The staff does have an open two-way contract slot that he can compete for if he impresses in camp.

Extra Pacers Associated Tales

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