The Pacers made the smart play Friday, and found the sweet spot to get an extension inked by stud swingman Danny Granger. Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star (via Cornrows) reports the deal at $60-64 million for five years, and it'll kick in for the 2009-10 season. The gross number pops (as they all do), but it's really a fair deal for both sides.On the Indiana end, Granger will soak up a lot of salary during the retooling effort, about $10 million at the start and up around $15 million by '13-14. That's a lot of cash ... but less than a quarter of the any conservative salary cap estimate. Granger should be at worst Indiana's second-best player for the next six seasons. And there's no problem paying your No. 2 a strong salary, provided he's young (Granger's 25) and good enough to provide ample production.
A team's top three players have a disproportionate share of the impact on a team's success. This isn't to say the rest of the roster can be ignored ... but if you have a shot to lock up a great player who fits into that top three, you have to do it. Smart decision by Indiana here.
