Insider: Pacers' David West turns down money for new fit

The Indiana Pacers are losing their rock.

David West has decided not to exercise the $12.6 million option of his contract for the 2015-16 season, league sources informed The Indianapolis Star on Wednesday. West, who turns 35 in August, will become a free agent this summer for the first time since 2011, when he made the surprising choice to join the young and rising Pacers over the Big Three in Boston.

And from that first snarl, that first swished jumper from the elbow, that very first 'He's a 'baaaaaad man!' bellowed throughout Bankers Life Fieldhouse during player introductions, West has been the cornerstone of the team.

"He's our rock," was how coach Frank Vogel described West after his 24-point performance shepherded the Pacers through a first-round elimination game against the Atlanta Hawks in 2014.

"There's no other way to put it."

West produced his lowest scoring average in nearly a decade (11.7 points per game) but remained the most respected player and voice in the Pacers' locker room. That leader will now search for a new home.

"He has the passion for (basketball)," a source responded when asked about West's wish list for his next destination. "He wants to play. … It's going to be an intellectual decision."

West made up his mind Tuesday, according to a source with knowledge of the situation. With the tread of 12 seasons in the league on his body, West will not command the same salary that would've been waiting for him next season with the Pacers. The choice appears to be more about finding a new fit. West did not want to simply "stay for the money," a source revealed.

During the Pacers' injury-decimated 2014-15 season, the unfamiliar sting of constant defeat often weighed on West. The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals in two (2013, 2014) of his four seasons with the team. However, the team played nearly all of last entire season without its star, Paul George, players combined to miss 219 games and the team employed 14 different starting lineups. West missed the first 15 games of the year with a sprained right ankle.

No surprise that this instability led to an up-and-mostly-down season.

As the team languished through a December losing streak, West – the Pacer who pulled no punches – answered as honest as possible when asked how he felt about dropping eight straight games at this stage in his career.

"It's (lousy). It's not fun, but you've got to be professional and you've got to keep preparing," West said then. "It's just not something we've been accustomed to doing since I've been here. We've had that mantra of … going in every night, expecting to win the ball game and knowing that we're the better team. I think just that attitude forces you to prepare a certain way, forces you to get on the floor, you take the floor differently and we're trying to find that."

Nevertheless, West's decision strikes two ways. Counting West, seven players from last year's roster will become free agents and his decision gives the Pacers more spare change to try to lure veterans to the heartland.

Furthermore, starting center Roy Hibbert also has a player option for next season, though he has yet to make his intentions public. Hibbert has until Monday to inform the Pacers. If Hibbert declines the option, his departure combined with West's, would free up more than $27 million in salary.

So after the July 1 start of free agency, the Pacers can look very different. This, however, may not be a reason to celebrate.

When West came to Indiana four years ago, he was then, as he is now, an iron-willed veteran. More than the money and the market in Boston, West picked Indiana unlike other big-name free agents because he wanted to help build something special.

Last year, Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke shared a story with The Star about West's first year in the league. It was Nov. 21, 2003, Rick Carlisle was still the coach and the Pacers played a game in New Orleans. West barely got off the bench that year, playing only 13 minutes a night, but the Hornets trailed by one point and needed to execute a last-second play. So, the rookie walked onto the court.

"They put this kid in. 'Who the hell is this guy?'" Burke said, recalling his memory. "They put him in and they ran a back screen for him for a lob. He caught it kinda low and he got it up to the rim and it came out. I remember sitting there watching him and you could tell he was devastated he let his teammates down but he had tightness in his jaw and got up and got off the floor. I'm thinking, 'This kid has some composure, some quiet confidence.'

"That play didn't make it and most guys would be – " said Burke, as he imitated someone overly pretending to be disappointed. "We all know you missed it, you don't have to do all that but (West) just got up and walked off. I know he was devastated. …To think of that kid who they're running a lob play for and look at the rock of our team now, what a difference."

Call Star reporter Candace Buckner at (317) 444-6121. Follow her on Twitter: @CandaceDBuckner.