The Pacers already were bringing in seven new players, so what's one more?
Toney Douglas already has played for six NBA teams, so what's one more?
Perhaps it was inevitable, then, that Douglas and the Pacers would hook up this year. The partially-guaranteed contract signed on Monday will allow him an opportunity to extend an NBA career that has spanned six seasons, and provide them with a capable guard who offers definite training camp depth and potential regular season contributions should an injury or trade create an opening.
Douglas is primarily a defender, but has shown scoring ability. He was the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009 at Florida State, and was a first-round draft pick of the Lakers that year mostly for his defense. The Lakers traded him on draft night to the New York, where Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh gave up a future second-round pick and $3 million to get him.
Photo Gallery: Toney Douglas' Career »
Douglas has averaged 7.6 points over his career, with a high of 10.6 his second NBA season. He's hit 39 percent of his three-point shots in two of his seasons, with a career percentage of .352.
“I can defend and I can shoot and score,” Douglas said Tuesday from the Pacers practice court. “We haven't gotten in to details of me being here, but I know I'm here for a reason. Once training camp starts I'll show people what I can do.”
Walsh, now a consultant with the Pacers, was not part of the decision-making process on this move, but approves. He sees Douglas as a legitimate NBA guard who just needs to find the right fit and opportunity.
Walsh said Douglas wasn't able to show his defensive ability often in New York because then-coach Mike D'Antoni didn't emphasize it. Walsh described Douglas as a player who can play an uptempo game, as the Pacers plan to have next season, but isn't a traditional point guard in the mold of a Mark Jackson.
“Toney's good enough to be on a team and it could work out that he fits here,” Walsh said.
“He's a good guy; really good guy.”
Douglas, meanwhile, was happy to be reunited with Walsh, in a sense.
“I love Donnie,” he said. “He's always been a great guy. I loved him when I was in New York. Him being here is a great situation. I trust him. He's not going to lie to you. He's going to keep it real and tell you what you need to do.”
Realistically, Douglas likely will need a break of some sort to stay with the Pacers, but for now he has a chance to continue an eventful and intriguing career that has taken him all over the world.
He was the second-leading freshman scorer in the country at Auburn, but wanted to play point guard and requested a transfer. He resumed his career at Florida State, and was runner-up as the conference's Player of the Year as a senior, when he led the team with a 21.5 scoring average.
His wayward NBA career has been dotted with highlights. He scored a career-high 30 points as a rookie with the Knicks in a win over Chicago, and hit nine three-pointers in a win over Memphis his second season. He scored 22 points in 28 minutes with Houston, hit 39 percent of his three-pointers in 22 games with Sacramento, and was a member of the Miami team that defeated the Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals in 2014. He's also spent time with Golden State and, last season, New Orleans.
Before his 12-game stint with the Pelicans, he played 35 games with the Jiangsu Dragons in China, averaging 19.1 points.
“It was a great experience, totally different,” he said of playing in China. “It wasn't bad like people think it would be. I knew I was going to be back over here.”
And now he is. Hoping for another chance.
“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I'm healthy. I know I can play. Things happen sometimes the way you don't want them to go, but that doesn't mean they stay like that.”
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