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Danny Granger was a Pacers star; Where is he now?
Injuries had a significant impact on Danny Granger’s NBA career. (Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn/USA TODAY Sports via Imagn Content Services, LLC)

Danny Granger was a Pacers star; Where is he now?

INDIANAPOLIS (BVM) ― When thinking about the Indiana Pacers, one may think of Reggie Miller or Lance Stephenson’s antics. But former Pacers star Danny Granger helped make a significant impact on the franchise that’s still felt to this day.

College career

Growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, Granger had no intention of becoming a basketball player. However, it wasn’t until a growth spurt encouraged him to play basketball.

“I always wanted to be a civil engineer,” Granger said in an interview with NBA.com. “That was my goal. I’m still passionate about it.”

But Granger was ready to give it all he had. For four years, Granger suited up for Grace King High School. He averaged 24.3 points, 12 rebounds and 5.5 blocks as a senior. Also, before his senior season, he was a McDonald’s All-American nominee. 

Being the standout player he was, Granger decided to attend Bradley University. It would be an outstanding freshman season for Granger as he earned Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) All-Freshman team honors averaging 11.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. Following a successful freshman campaign, Granger averaged 19.2 points and 7.9 rebounds for Bradley. However, he ended up transferring to New Mexico.

“I saw a side of Coach [Jim] Les I had not seen,” Granger told ESPN. “I felt I couldn’t trust the man, and he intimidated me. It was difficult to play through all of that.”

In New Mexico, Granger proved his skill on the court was for real. In his final two seasons, he averaged 19.2 points. He also became the first Lobos player to lead the team in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocks. Granger led in those categories again in his senior year, and he also finished second in the Mountain West Conference (MWC) Player of the Year race. 

NBA career

Granger entered the 2005 NBA Draft and was selected No. 17 overall pick by the Pacers. He lived up to expectations of a first-round selection by averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 78 games. Granger was also named to the NBA All-Rookie second team. 

In two short years, Granger would become a dominant player for the Pacers as he led the team in scoring during the 2007-08 season. Following his breakout season, Granger signed a five-year contract with the Pacers, which guaranteed him $60 million. 

Granger’s career reached its pinnacle during the 2008 season as Granger averaged 25.8 points. He became the first player in NBA history to raise his scoring average by at least five points per game in three consecutive seasons. Granger also went on to win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award and play in his first and only All-Star game in 2009.

Despite his success on the court, Granger started to have injuries flare up. From 2012-14 he missed roughly 80 games due to knee tendinitis and a strained calf.

With these lingering injuries, his career began a downward trajectory, eventually leading him to be traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. Although he was traded to Philadelphia, Granger was bought out by the 76ers and signed with the Los Angeles Clippers soon after. 

Mar 4, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Danny Granger (33) against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Granger’s last season was during the 2014-15 season when he signed with the Miami Heat. He averaged only 6.3 points a game for the Heat, and later, in 2015, he was traded to Phoenix. He never played for the Suns due to injuries and was traded to Detroit, where his career came to a close. 

Net worth 

According to The Richest, Grangers’ net worth is $45 million. According to Spotrac, Granger earned $68.8 million during his career. 

Post-playing career

With his career on the basketball court seemingly over, Granger has found many things to keep him busy. Things like helping run Dribble to Stop Diabetes and continuing to be invested in his real estate business.  

Basketball is still something he enjoys being around and in 2017 he would get to be around the game even more as a studio and game analyst for the CBS Sports Network.

“Even though you’re not in the game, I really like the atmosphere of still being here,” Granger told the Albuquerque Journal. “You don’t get that in the studio. They just come to us to talk in the studio. Here, I feel like I’m ready to go suit up if I could hold off the pain in my knees.”

Granger has more exciting times ahead of him. And where that takes him, who knows? But there’s no doubt that Granger will be remembered as one of the best Pacers of all time.