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The Indiana Pacers have waived guard Monta Ellis, according to a report by Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The 31-year-old had one of the worst seasons of his 12-year career since his rookie season, averaging a mere 8.5 points, 3.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game in his last of two seasons with the Pacers.
Pacers will use stretch provision on Monta Ellis, per source. Ellis's remaining $11.2M salary will be stretched over the next 5 years.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 5, 2017
After being a bona fide starter for the entirety of his career, Ellis' struggles became evident for head coach Nate McMillan and his staff, quickly switching him into a bench role, garnering only 33 starts in the season out of 74 games played.
Once an avid rim-attacker and shifty off-guard, Ellis lacked the explosion and torque that earned him the nickname “The Mississippi Bullet” from back in his high school days.
He'll now face a tough free agency period for mid-level guards, with most of the initial targets in the market snatched rather quickly in the first days since the window first opened in July 1.
Despite a season to forget, Ellis holds career averages of 17.8 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game.
