Pacers sign veteran JaKarr Sampson to a contract

JaKarr Sampson made the most of a late opportunity with the Chicago Bulls last season, and now the Indiana Pacers are giving him another chance to shine.

The Pacers announced Friday they have signed the free agent to a contract.

Sampson, a veteran of four NBA seasons with Chicago, Sacramento, Denver and Philadelphia, played in China last season and then went to the NBA G League. The 6-foot-9, 214-pound forward averaged 21.1 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists over 24 games with the Windy City Bulls. That earned him a 10-day contract to finish the season in the NBA. He averaged 20.0 points and 8.0 rebounds per game in Chicago’s last four games.

Sampson has averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 rebounds over 173 career NBA appearances.