David West gave up his $12.5 million player option for the 15-16 season with the Indiana Pacers to sign with the San Antonio Spurs for just $1.4 million.

West has invested his money carefully and lived modestly, which made the decision easier than some can fathom.

"People are talking about what I gave up," West told Yahoo Sports, "but not as much about what I've gained here."

West was the veteran presence for the Pacers, but he now has the chance to be the student.

"That's something I haven't been doing the last few years. You had to focus on your own mindset and mentality and then having to make sure that others are where they need to be. When you're constantly answering questions, I'll admit: It gets to be a bit much.

"I've already been picking [Manu Ginobili's] brain, asking questions. Asking Tim (Duncan) questions.

"I needed that."

West was also bothered by the way the Pacers tried to get Roy Hibbert to opt out.

"The whole four years I was there we didn't operate that way," West told Yahoo Sports. "That sort of threw me for a loop. Why, all of a sudden, are we this way? When Roy struggled a few years ago – the playoffs, the season – yeah, we challenged him, but it was more, 'Hey, you've got to participate in your own rescue.' It wasn't, 'Hey, this is all on you.' " That bothered me.

"I guess that was the motivation – they wanted to get Roy out of there – but I just felt we were all in the fight together. It isn't on one guy, it's on the group. It's not on one coach, it's on the unit. That situation shook me up. Roy was a huge part of what we had done – two Eastern Conference finals runs.

"I didn't think he deserved that."

Paul George is more than a year removed from his leg injury in 2014 during a Team USA scrimmage and is confident he's all the way back physically.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m better than the Paul George I was (before),” George told USA TODAY Sports. “I do understand that I’m coming back as a fresh new player, with a new team, but I’m not limiting myself. I still have the aspiration of being the MVP, still have the aspiration of being one of the best defenders, one of the best scorers in the league. All of that is still there. But now I just feel like I’m much … wiser. I’m a better ballhandler, a better playmaker. I just feel like everything is just enhanced having a year out from the game."

George believes he can become the NBA's best player this season.

“Myself,” he said when asked which player enters this season as the best. “I honestly feel that this is my time to prove it. There’s always going to be people’s opinions. There’s always going to be people thinking otherwise. But this is my time to prove it, and I’m ready. I’m ready to show the world.”

One day before he got hurt in 2014, George, Kevin Durant and James Harden took turns in one-on-one battles that are rarely seen at that level.

“(The injury) really made me put everything in perspective, that this game can be gone at any second,” George said. “I had to look at the reality of it, that I’ve got to enjoy it. Enjoy this ride, enjoy this journey. It made me change the way I look at a lot of things. I’m much more happy.

“I’m loving the position that I’m in and where I’ve been blessed to be. I just see things in a different light now being away from the game for a year.”

The Indiana Pacers want to play small with Paul George receiving significant minutes at power forward, but he's skeptical.

“Um, you know it’s, uh, I was open for – to try it out,” George said. “It’s definitely a change. It’s something new. We’ll see how it goes. As the season goes, it might be better for me to just be at my regular position. But I told them I was open to the situation and (we’ll) see where it goes.”

George is still coming back from a broken leg and playing power forward will be more physically demanding.

“Yeah, I believe (that’s his main concern),” George said. “It’s just being outmatched strength-wise with guys at the four spot is really the only concern. It’s not really the concern for one game. It’s the concern just over the course of a season just how my body would take it, especially coming off the injury that I had and a whole year of rehabbing. Just not sure of how it’s going to take it. (We’ll) start camp, see how camp goes. Again, I’m not too thrilled on it, but it could change the more comfortable I get at the position. But we’ll see. But again, I could very much end up loving it, so it’s all up in the air. I’m open to the position.”

C.J. Fair has agreed upon a one-year camp deal with the Indiana Pacers.

Fair played last season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the D-League after going undrafted out of Syracuse.

Fair played for the Boston Celtics in Summer League.

Pacers Sports & Entertainment, the parent organization of the Indiana Pacers, has acquired the Fort Wayne Mad Ants of the National Basketball Association’s Development League.

Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. With the acquisition, the Mad Ants become the 10th D-League team to be wholly owned by an NBA franchise and now all 19 D-League teams are singly-affiliated with NBA franchises.

“We are proud to extend the Pacers brand into Northeast Indiana and excited about continuing the tradition of professional basketball in Fort Wayne,” said Pacers Sports & Entertainment owner Herb Simon. “We will work closely with the Mad Ants staff to provide support and expertise on both the business and basketball sides and we hope to build on their enthusiastic fan base.”

The Mad Ants were previously owned by the Fort Wayne Basketball Group, LLC, which was led by majority investors John Zeglis, Julie Potter, and Jeff Potter. Jeff Potter, former president of the Mad Ants, will continue with the team as its president of business operations.