Kyle O'Quinn said he had an offer to return to the Knicks. But, he decided to sign a one-year, $4.5 million contract with the Pacers instead.
The 28-year-old center said he was looking to join a team focused on winning in 2018-19.
"I wanted to play for something more than next year's draft," O'Quinn said to reporters Monday (via WISH-TV).
O'Quinn averaged 7.1 points and 6.1 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game for the Knicks last season.
O'Quinn was selected by the Magic in the second round of the 2012 draft. He spent three seasons in Orlando before he signed with New York in July 2015.
The Knicks registered a 92-154 and failed to make a playoff appearance during O'Quinn’s three seasons with the team.
New York is expected to struggle again next season. Star forward Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL in early February and he may miss a significant portion of 2018-19.
The Pacers finished last season with a 48-34 record and earned the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They pushed the Cavaliers to a Game 7 but were ultimately eliminated in the first round after a 105-101 loss in Cleveland.
