T.J. Ford Refuses Buyout from Pacers

Ford isn’t going to leave any money on the table, thereby potentially creating an ugly situation in Indiana. The Indy Star reports: “The Pacers – like they’ve been doing for quite some time – tried to trade Ford on Wednesday. They couldn’t throw him in a deal so they then tried to negotiate a buyout with him. The Pacers wanted Ford to take a buyout for about $5 million. The point guard quickly shot that idea down. ‘I’m not taking a buyout,’ Ford said. You can’t blame Ford for not taking a buyout, especially since he’s scheduled to make $8.5 million next season. He didn’t pick up his player option to leave $3.5 million on the table. ‘T.J. is on the team and we expect him to come in here and be professional and try to get a job and get some playing time,’ Bird said.”