The Indiana Pacers announced Tuesday the signing of free agent guard Jimmie ?Snap? Hunter, while also announcing the signings of Johnny Davis and Leonard Perry as assistant coaches. Per club policy, terms of the agreements were not released.

Hunter, a 6-4, 180-pound guard, played last season with the Gary Steelheads of the CBA, where he averaged a league-leading 27.6 points per game. His 1,214 points set a Steelheads? single-season record.  He also averaged 5.4 rebounds per game, 5.4 assists per game, led the Steelheads with 83 steals, shot nearly 40 percent (.396) from 3-point range. He was named the CBA?s Player of the Week three times.  In March 2006, he signed with Etosa Alicante of the Spanish ACB, where he averaged 15.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in 12 games

Johnny Davis, former Magic head coach has joined Rick Carlisle's staff with the Indiana Pacers. Davis was with the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, but he was replaced by Randy Wittman, who left Orlando in order to return to Minnesota.

Wittman is the leading candidate to replace Dwane Casey if the Wolves falter out of the gate.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle hasn't determined a starting lineup, but he envisions putting Harrington with Danny Granger and Jermaine O'Neal in the front line.

"They all bring something a little different to the situation," Carlisle said. "All three guys are very good rebounders at their positions. There will be times when Al is defending the center and Jermaine the (power forward), and there will be times when Al is playing center on offense and Jermaine will be the (power forward). All three guys bring the ability to shoot the ball and put the ball on the floor. It opens us up from the standpoint of being a quicker team and being able to make things happen."

Antonio Davis, formerly of both the Bulls and Pacers, is interested in returning to the NBA for another season, according to Donnie Walsh.

"He's still interested," Harrington said Thursday. "He mentioned Chicago and the Pacers, but said he'd rather play here."

Davis said he doubts that he'll return, however.

The Pacers continue to look at making roster moves and trades but are most likely done, despite having their mid-level exception of $5.2 million and the biannual exception of $1.8 million to spend on free agents.  The team is limited because of both the size of their roster and payroll.

"We're looking, there's no question about it," Larry Bird said. "I still anticipate things happening (around the league)."

"I'm not going to bring our (payroll) number up any more," Donnie Walsh said.

"We have a month and a half left. We'll see what we can do."

The Atlanta Hawks have acquired a 2007 first-round draft pick from the Indiana Pacers, as part of a sign-and-trade transaction that sends Al Harrington, along with John Edwards, to Indiana, according to Executive Vice President/General Manager Billy Knight.

?We?re very pleased to have Al back in Indiana,? said Pacers President of Basketball Operations Larry Bird, who coached Harrington his first two seasons with the Pacers. ?We think he brings an added dimension to our team. We know what he can do and he?ll make us a deeper team and a better team. He?s also a very good guy. It?s a pleasure to have his personality back as well.?

?Al was a very good player for us for six years,? said Pacers CEO and President Donnie Walsh. ?Going to Atlanta has expanded his game and he became one of the most prized free agents on the market. What makes this special is now Al fits perfectly into the team and style of play we?re trying to achieve. It?s a perfect time for him to come back. It?s also special because Al comes back to a place where he was one of our most popular players and a solid asset in the community. I think it?s a win-win situation for the team and Al.?

?We feel this move brings us valuable assets, including additional salary cap flexibility as we move forward,? Knight said.  ?When Al came to us, he brought a winning attitude to our franchise and he always put the team first.  We are certainly in a better position now having had Al as a member of the Hawks.

?I appreciate the hard work and leadership that Al brought to our team, both on and off the court,? Knight continued, ?as well as for John?s contributions for us last season. We wish them both well.?

After what has seemed like an eternity for the Indiana Pacers, the team appears to be closing in on a deal that formally secures the return of swingman Al Harrington.

Arn Tellem, Harrington's new agent, said on Monday night that the Pacers are "very close" to finalizing a sign-and-trade arrangement with the Atlanta Hawks that's been weeks in the making.

Harrington, according to NBA front-office sources, is expected to sign a four-year contract worth $35.3 million with the Hawks, who will then deal him to Indiana. It's believed that the Pacers will complete the swap without making a cash payment to the Hawks, who originally sought the maximum $3 million that teams can add to trades.

Atlanta would receive a future first-round pick in exchange for Harrington. It was not immediately known if Indiana will also acquire third-year center John Edwards, whose departure would remove an extra $1.1 million from the Hawks' payroll.

The Pacers are still very much involved in discussions about a possible sign-and-trade deal for Atlanta forward Al Harrington, franchise CEO & President Donnie Walsh said on Monday.

Weekend media reports suggested ownership had stepped in to squelch the deal, leading the Hawks to re-open trade discussions with other teams.

"I think we're coming down to it and we'll either get it or we won't," said Walsh. "It's a negotiation ? in terms of the trade, in terms of the (contract). We've been negotiating and that takes time. Usually, the press doesn't get wind of that until it gets toward the end. But here it seems like they were in it before we had any understanding we could do a trade with Atlanta and then (reported) definitely that the deal was done or that it was imminent before we even talked to Al's people. You have to understand, there was also a change of agents in all this, so that took some time, too.

"I think it's business as usual, myself. It's gone the way every deal goes for me."

The Hawks were ready to sign Harrington to a six-year, $57 million deal, then send him and center John Edwards to the Pacers for their $7.5 million trade exception and a future first-round draft pick when Indiana owner Herb Simon nixed the deal because he didn't like the length of Harrington's contract, the Indianapolis Star is reporting.

Simon wanted Harrington, 26, to sign a four-year deal worth about $9 million a season, and he also doesn't want Edwards, the person said.

The Pacers still have trade exceptions of $7.5 million and $2.6 million, the midlevel exception of about $5.2 million and their bi-annual exception of $1.7 million to use this summer.

"We have done a lot of things to this point," Walsh said earlier this week. "We've got another month and a half until training camp, so there is plenty of time to get our roster how we want it."

Walsh also said earlier this week that they're willing to start camp with the current roster, then look to make other moves.

"Some times you have to go into training camp not having everything you want," Walsh said. "We don't normally do things that way, but that's always an option."

Free agent forward Al Harrington said on Friday that the proposed sign-and-trade deal that would send him to Indiana is now dead.

"The Indiana deal was something that I really wanted to do. I was looking forward to it since it's a place I'm so familiar with. But it didn't happen. I want to be somewhere I'm wanted, and these other teams are really interested.

"I feel like I can make an impact with any of those teams, whichever uniform I end up wearing. But ultimately, you have to go where you are wanted."

Denver, Golden State, Minnesota and the Los Angeles Lakers will reemerge in the hopes of landing Harrington.