Indiana Pacers trade rumors: Monta Ellis to be traded after acquiring Aaron Brooks?
According to the latest round of Indiana Pacers rumors, Monta Ellis might be traded off by the team. This is reportedly because his spot as a point guard will now be filled by Aaron Brooks.
Hailing from the Chicago Bulls, the veteran point guard sealed the deal with the Pacers just last week. Brooks is believed to back up Jeff Teague as point guard in his new team.
Because of this, many imagine that Ellis will be out of the team. According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, this might be the right move for the Pacers.
In his report, Lowe simply said "The Pacers would probably like to dump Monta Ellis." However, from the looks of things, Indiana does not seem to have any plans of letting go of Ellis.
Adam Lukach of Today's Fastbreak says that "unless another team starts feeling dissatisfied with its backcourt playmakers and comes calling, he seems like he'll stay with the Pacers for the foreseeable future as well."
He adds that although Ellis will most likely stay in Pacers, he has to make some adjustments in how he plays to accommodate new additions such as Brooks.
Last season saw Ellis as the ball handler. Now, it is expected that Teague will take on that role. This is part of the changes he will have to make, with Lukach saying that Ellis "will also have to get more comfortable playing off the ball in halfcourt situations."
The point guard might have to make more use of his quickness and immerse himself in the elite halfcourt-style established by new head coach Nate McMillan next season if he wants to play for the Pacers.
That being said, it looks like Ellis is staying with Indiana. For now, it looks like the team will rather expect him to make a drastic change in his play style than let him go.