The Indiana Pacers have bolstered their front-line depth with the acquisition of Luis Scola from the Phoenix Suns.

The Pacers sent forward Gerald Green, center Miles Plumlee and a lottery-protected first-round draft pick to the rebuilding Suns.

Scola played his first five NBA seasons with the Houston Rockets before coming to Phoenix a year ago when the Suns submitted the winning bid under the league's amnesty rule. He appeared in all 82 games for the Suns, averaging 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds. It was the fifth time in his career that he's played in all games.

Scola, who has averaged 14.2 points and 7.5 rebounds in his career, joins a team that figures to contend in the Eastern Conference after he toiled for a season with a Suns squad that compiled the worst record in the Western Conference and second-worst in the franchise's history.

Green has played for six teams since coming to the NBA in 2005. Signed as a free agent by Indiana in 2012, he appeared in 60 games, averaging seven points per contest. The 2.11-meter Plumlee was selected in the first round by the Pacers out of Duke last year, the 26th selection overall, but appeared in only 14 games for the deep, talented Indiana squad.

Not surprisingly, Scola said he was "very, very excited to play for the Pacers".

"They are one of the top three teams in the NBA with a good shot to win a championship," Scola said in a Pacers news release announcing the Saturday trade. "I think it's a great team and this is a great opportunity. I can't wait."

(China Daily 07/29/2013 page23)