Michigan basketball: Eli Brooks signs deal with Indiana Pacers
Michigan basketball guard Eli Brooks exited the program as one of the winningest players in school history. Despite that, his name was not called during the 2022 NBA Draft. But an opportunity has still come knocking.
First reported by Andrew Kahn of MLive, Brooks has signed a Summer League and Exhibit 10 contract with the Indiana Pacers. He will make the NBA’s minimum salary over one season.
Brooks’ deal with the Pacers will allow him to take part of the Summer League activities in Las Vegas, which run from July 7-17. There, he will attempt to make his case for a preseason roster spot and potentially work his way onto the 14-man NBA rotation. The Exhibit 10 designation allows for him to join the Pacers’ G League team if he does not make the active roster.
Brooks spent five seasons in Ann Arbor was a stalwart at Michigan, playing in 159 career games and being named a captain twice in his career. His leadership was a big part in the program advancing to the Sweet 16 in all four NCAA Tournaments the Wolverines made on his watch. The only one missed was the 2020 season which was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Michigan leaned on Brooks last year, averaging 36 minutes per game and starting at shooting guard. He averaged 12.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting a touch under 40 percent from three.
The Pacers’ draft efforts were headlined by selecting Arizona wing Bennedict Mathurin with the No. 6 overall selection. They followed it up with picks of Gonzaga guard Andrew Nembhard and Baylor wing Kendall Brown in the second round. Each will play with Brooks during the Summer League in Vegas.
Michigan sends two to the NBA Draft
Michigan had a pair of selections in the 2022 NBA Draft in forward Caleb Houstan and big man Moussa Diabate. The one-and-done products were selected by the Orlando Magic (No. 32 overall) and Los Angeles Clippers (No. 43), respectively.
Houstan, who was a five-star signee and No. 10 prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, started 34 games at Michigan last season. He averaged 10.1 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Houstan shot 38.4% from the field with a 35.5% mark from three-point range. He did not appear on many draft boards at the end of the season, but elected to stay in the draft. This fueled speculation that he might have a first-round promise from a team, but he ultimately slipped just outside the top 30 picks.
Diabate was Michigan’s other five-star addition in 2021 and started 26 of 32 games for the Wolverines. He averaged nine points and six rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the floor.
Michigan guard DeVante’ Jones also worked out for teams during the process, but went undrafted. A deal similar to the one Brooks signed could be in the works elsewhere, but has not been reported yet.
