The Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers are currently in a tug-of-war battle for the veteran free agent Shawn Marion this off-season. Last week, it was reported that Marion was leaning toward signing a deal to join LeBron James with the Cavaliers. It was almost a done deal for Marion and the Cavs until the Pacers suddenly reemerged in the picture with President Larry Bird himself stepping up according to ESPN.com's Marc Stein:
The Indiana Pacers have jumped into the race for Shawn Marion's signature - competing with LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers - by hosting Marion on a visit to Indianapolis, ESPN.com has learned. Marion met face-to-face with Pacers president Larry Bird Monday, according to sources close to the situation, after Bird urged the free-agent defensive specialist and former All-Star to come to town to consider signing with Indiana in the wake of the devastating compound leg fracture suffered by Pacers star Paul George.
Bird hopes that a little more money will be enough to convince the Mavericks defensive specialist to join the Pacers which is in need of a contingency option in the forward position in the wake of Paul George's gruesome injury. With George sidelined for the entire 2014-2015 season, the Pacers are eligible for the disabled player exception, which enables them to a sign a player for up to $5.3 million per Sports Illustrated.
The Cavs, on the other hand, can only offer Marion the league minimum - Cleveland is just $1.7 million under the cap - in terms of money but they have something that that Pacers can't provide now that they are without Paul George and that is a chance to win a championship. With Kevin Love set to join the team and LeBron James still entering his prime, the Cavaliers are legitimate title contenders for the foreseeable future as what Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk suggests.
Now the final decision boils down to Shawn Marion. If he opts to sign with Indiana, he gets a little extra cash but may risk losing a chance of adding another title under his belt in the twilight of his career. With the Cavaliers, he only has the league minimum to take but he has a greater chance of contending. He can back up James and provide the the Cavs with veteran leadership and defense which is a major concern for the team with Love and Kyrie Irving known for their defensive deficiencies.
Where do you think should Marion sign? What is the best situation for him? Is the Pacers or the Cavaliers?
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