Josh Powell was assumed by many to be merely a warm body to help make the salaries match when the Indiana Pacers acquired him in a trade with Dallas in July.

Before training camp began, however, he already had established himself as much more than that in the eyes of the front office members who hung out in the Conseco Fieldhouse practice gymnasium in August and September.

"It was clear to us that this guy is definitely a roster player in this league and very well could be a rotation player," coach Rick Carlisle said.

The Pacers weren't allowed the luxury of idle admiration, however. Powell's contract became guaranteed Sunday, forcing them to back their optimism with a commitment of nearly $750,000, his salary for this season.

Carlisle describes that as an easy decision.