The Pacers are leaning toward keeping trade candidate Danny Granger for the final season of his contract in 2013/14, report Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com amidst a piece rounding up rumors about a Celtics/Clippers deal. The Clippers are among the teams targeting Granger, with Eric Bledsoe as the primary trade chip, according to Stein and Shelburne.
Still, the Pacers want to keep Granger, and they're banking on his ability to return fully healthy from left knee troubles that kept him out of all but five games this past season. If he can come back at full strength, the Pacers believe that could help them overcome the Heat next season, as Indiana pursues its first NBA championship.
Granger is set to make slightly more than $14MM next season, and his expiring contract could prove a valuable asset in trade talks if Indiana wants to pursue them. The Cavs and Rockets are other teams that may have interest in acquiring the 30-year-old small forward who's averaged 18.1 points per game and 38.4% three-point shooting for his career.