USA - Baston joins Pacers

INDIANAPOLIS (NBA) - Israeli forward Maceo Baston has left Maccabi Tel Aviv to join the Indiana Pacers.

The 6ft 9in, 215lb forward has signed a two-year, $1.8million contract with a player option on the second year, according to the Indianapolis Star.

He was reportedly offered a $3.3million, three-year deal to remain in Tel Aviv.

With the Pacers, Baston will be reunited with Lithuania'n guard Sarunas Jasikevicius, with whom he helped Maccabi win back-to-back Euroleague titles in 2004 and 2005.

"This is a guy who, talent-wise, is a 5 or 6million-dollar guy (in the NBA)," Baston's agent Mark Bartelstein told the newspaper.

"I think this is a steal for the Pacers."

Baston played college basketball with the University of Michigan, and was the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Year in 1998.

The 30-year-old averaged 13.3 points on 65% shooting and 6.5 rebounds last season, when Maccabi reached the Euroleague finals.

He had 20 points, seven rebounds and six blocked shots in a semi-final win, and six points, 15 rebounds and two blocks in a loss in the final.

"He's a guy who can fit in with our team," Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh said. "I expect his job will be to rebound, go to the boards, run the floor, play defense and block shots."

PA Sport