Report: Pacers can void Stuckey's player option if waived before playoffs

The Indiana Pacers have an interesting decision to make as the regular season draws to a close.

Officially, Pacers combo guard Rodney Stuckey has a $7-million player option for next season, which, if given the opportunity, he appears likely to exercise given his struggles this season. But the Pacers can nullify that option year by waiving Stuckey before the upcoming playoffs, ESPN's Zach Lowe reported on The Lowe Post podcast this week.

According to Lowe, Indiana could do the same with shooting guard Monta Ellis - who has an $11.7-million player option for the 2018-19 season - ahead of next year's playoffs. Those contract stipulations are reportedly the only two of their kind in the NBA.

Stuckey missed significant time with a hamstring injury in December and January, and has labored since returning to the court. He's been particularly woeful in March, averaging 2.7 points while shooting 7-of-38 (18.4 percent) from the field across nine games. For the season, he's averaging a career-low 7.5 points per game on a career-worst 38.6 percent shooting, while the Pacers have been three points per 100 possessions worse with him on the floor.

Even amidst his struggles, though, Stuckey's been a prominent part of Indiana's reserve unit, playing just a shade under 18 minutes a night. Dropping him before the postseason (assuming the Pacers get there) would leave them pretty thin in the backcourt and light on injury insurance.

But since being forced to rely on Stuckey would bode ill for their prospects in the playoffs, anyway, the Pacers may decide to get proactive and wipe the $7 million off their books - a move that would get them close to max-level cap room in the summer. Considering how vital this offseason could be to Paul George's future in Indiana, that added flexibility would not be insignificant.