The Indiana Pacers do not intend to pick up their 2019-20 team option for Edmond Sumner because they’d rather work on a long-term contract, J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star reports.
The 23-year-old guard’s two-way contract was converted into a standard contract last season. As Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports clarifies, after declining the team option the Pacers will formally extend a qualifying offer to make him an unrestricted free agent.
Had Indiana not proceeded this way, Michael writes that Sumner would have hit unrestricted free agency in 2020. The two parties working toward a longer-term deal could apply that Sumner is ready to take on a larger role in Indiana’s rotation.
Sumner averaged 2.9 points in just 9.0 minutes per game for the Pacers in 2018-19.
