Pacers sign free agent Dahntay Jones

Dahntay Jones (L) of the Denver Nuggets steals the ball from Kobe Bryant (24) of the Los Angeles Lakers during Game 5 of their NBA Western Conference final basketball playoff game in Los Angeles, May 27, 2009.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The Indiana Pacers have signed free agent swingman Dahntay Jones to a multi-year contract, the NBA Central Division club announced on Tuesday.

Defensive specialist Jones started 71 of 79 regular season games last season for the Denver Nuggets and played in all 16 playoff games as Denver reached the Western Conference finals.

Six-year veteran Jones, a 2003 first-round draft pick by the Boston Celtics out of Duke University, averaged 5.4 points in the regular season and 7.0 in the playoffs.

"Dahntay gives us defense and versatility," Larry Bird, Pacers (36-46) president of basketball operations, said in a statement on the Pacers website (pacers.com).

"We have talked about being more athletic and being better defensively and Dahntay helps us immediately in both areas."

Said the 6-foot-6 Jones: "This is a great opportunity for me. I think they have a core of good players to build around and after my experience last year with Denver, I'll do everything I can to help Indiana get back into the playoffs."

(Reporting by Larry Fine, Editing by Ian Ransom)