Pacers agree to acquire former IU standout Thomas Bryant from Heat to shore up center position
Thomas Bryant, 27, is in a contract year, earning $2.1 million, and the Indiana Pacers have a gaping hole at backup center after early injuries to Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman.
A reinforcement will be here soon.
It’s been six weeks since the Indiana Pacers lost reserve centers James Wiseman, then Isaiah Jackson (likely) for the season due to torn Achilles tendon. It was clear that the front office would have to make a move to add depth at center for a team that has fallen to 29th in rebounding.
It wasn’t a matter of if — only when and whom.
Then on Friday, almost two hours before the Pacers resumed play following a rare gap with four days between games, more is now known.
Ahead of Sunday (Dec. 15), a key date when many more NBA players become trade eligible, the Pacers reached agreement with the Miami Heat to acquire center Thomas Bryant for a swap of a future second-round pick, league sources confirmed to Fieldhouse Files. It was first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The second-round swap rights aren’t until 2031, per Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.
A deal for Bryant works because 1) he’s on a one-year deal deal, 2) earns the $2.1 million veteran minimum, and 3) the Pacers have an open roster spot after they waived Moses Brown (a call-up from the G League) on Monday. And by waiving Brown earlier this week, the Pacers saved money — which is especially critical with them being awfully close to the luxury tax.
Before this deal, the Pacers had a little more than $2 million in space.
The incentive for the 13-10 Miami Heat: 1) save money on their luxury tax payment, 2) open up a roster spot, 3) receive a trade exception.
Bryant has appeared in 10 of 23 games this season, and he averaged 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Bryant is from New York, then played at IU under coach Tom Crean from 2015-17. Since then, he spent time with the Lakers, Wizards, Nuggets, and Heat. That includes being part of the 2023 Nuggets NBA Championship.
“No doubt that (Thomas) has had some really good days in the State of Indiana. Good for him,” Crean tweeted after news got out.
Bryant talked with Fieldhouse Files back in 2018 after his time with the Lakers was over and he had moved on to Washington DC. Through it all, going back to his time in Bloomington, Crean has been there for him.
“He's been great for me,” Bryant said. “He's been a teaching guy for me and been with me every step of the way. Just helping me, coaching me, and keeping me positive and keeping me on track to just stay on the course.
“We still text daily. He asks me how I'm doing, I ask him how he's doing. and we always talk about basketball. We always go back to that.”
Bryant started with the Lakers, but in the G League. He embraced it and was later named to the 2018 All-NBA G League First Team.
“I didn't have the chance to play with the guys up top because it was too hard to get minutes,” he said. “So I took it as a challenge to try and get better each and every day just playing on the G League.”
The Lakers then made a business decision and moved on from him, which was his first realization of the business of basketball. However, that opened up an opportunity for Bryant with the Wizards, where he played for four seasons.
“I didn't think it would happen but it did,” he said. “But I had to put my best foot forward and just stay positive. Personally, it's frustrating but you also have to understand that it's a business as well. They're going to do what's best for their organization and also as a player you have to do what's best for yourself.”
The Pacers (10-15) have lost 8 of their last 12 games entering a weekend slate at Philly on Friday and home against the Pelicans on Sunday — the earliest Bryant could join the team.
Then, they're on the road for five of their next six games: at Phoenix, at Sacramento, at Golden State, v OKC, at Boston (2x). It’s a grueling stretch, their toughest of the season so far.
But wait — then they're home against Milwaukee, at Miami (a reunion for Bryant), and home against Phoenix. That gets you to Jan. 4.
That’s why, given the Pacers’ shortcomings in the frontcourt (and overall), they needed to solidify a deal to bring in assistance. Ideally, it would be a G League player that would cost far less; they tried that. Bryant plays with energy and passion that could help this group, along with his rebounding and presence inside.
The Pacers will be asking from him the same as his previous teams: “Just to keep playing on the defensive end,” Bryant said before joining the Wizards. “Being the versatile player that I can be. Knock down shots, roll to the rim, get the rebounds and score the basketball.”
We’re talking about a backup center here. But it is a positive move for the team.
And they may not be done making moves. Something is off with the team right now, and there’s huge salaries commitments despite lack of wins on the court.