Pacers To Keep Roy Hibbert, Match 4-Year, $58 Million Offer Sheet From Blazers

Indiana Pacers Will Match 4-Year, $58 Million Offer Sheet For Roy Hibbert, According To Report

It took some time, but the Indiana Pacers have finally come through to match the Portland Trail Blazers' four-year max contract offer sheet to center Roy Hibbert, according to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star. Hibbert agreed to a four-year, $58 million with the Blazers when the 2012 NBA Free Agency period opened up on July 1.

The Pacers are matching Portland's 4-year, $58 million offer to Roy Hibbert, according to a source

— Mike Wells (@MikeWellsNBA) July 9, 2012

There was some speculation that the Pacers might not match the offer for the 2012 All-Star center. The contract is certainly rich, and the team had reportedly been looking at Chris Kaman as a possible replacement. The Pacers had until July 14, three days after the NBA moratorium period ended, to match the offer.

Hibbert averaged 12.8 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game last season, all of which are career highs.

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Pacers May Not Match Blazers' Max Offer To Roy Hibbert, According To Report

The Portland Trail Blazers made the first big splash as the free agency period opened, offering restricted free agent Roy Hibbert a max contract as the clock struck midnight July 1. According to TNT's David Aldridge, the Indiana Pacers are still deliberating whether to match the four-year, $58 million offer sheet the Blazers gave the All-Star center:

League source says Pacers still have not decided if they will match proposed max offer sheet by Portland over the weekend to @Hoya2aPacer.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 5, 2012

Hibbert has improved in each of his four seasons as one of the true centers in the league, culminating in an appearance in the 2012 All-Star Game. But the Pacers and Kevin Pritchard are apparently hesitant to match the max money offered. They had already met with free agent center Chris Kaman as a possible backup plan to losing Hibbert, and have signed guard George Hill to a reported five-year, $40 million contract.

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Blazers Offered Roy Hibbert A Max Contract, According To Report

The Portland Trail Blazers and one other unnamed team have offered All-Star center Roy Hibbert a maximum value contract, reports SI.com's Sam Amick. The Indiana Pacers, Hibbert's team of four years, offered less than the max, which would start at roughly $13 million per season.

Amick reports that Hibbert may sign Portland's offer sheet, forcing Indiana to decide whether to match. You would have to believe that Indiana would match, given Hibbert's importance to the club.

Hibbert and Eric Gordon (also seeking the max) are the only two restricted free agents likely to draw contracts at or near the max this offseason. JaVale McGee and Brook Lopez are also expected to come in with high-dollar contracts.

The Blazers are low on centers, but did pick up Meyers Leonard from Illinois in the 2012 NBA Draft on Thursday.

For more on the Blazers, visit Blazers Edge. For more on the Pacers, visit Indy Cornrows.