The Pacers have announced that they will not become a taxpaying team this season "for any reason," tweets Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman. Indiana has close to $49MM on the books for this coming season, well below the projected $71.6MM tax threshold.
Still, the team figures to add a lucrative salary for David West, and they've extended a qualifying offer to match entreaties from other teams for Tyler Hansbrough. The Pacers have also agreed to a deal with point guard C.J. Watson, though it's not clear how much he's getting.
The club's salary figure will rise by $930K if the club guarantees Lance Stephenson's contract later this month, as expected. The Pacers haven't been a taxpaying team since 2005/06, and when team president Larry Bird left last year, there were rumblings that the team's unwillingness to spend was a reason why. Bird's back this summer, so I assume he's on board with the latest pronouncement.