Pacers' Daniel Theis agrees to contract buyout, looks to join Clippers
The Pacers have agreed to a contract buyout with center Daniel Theis, a league source confirmed to IndyStar before the Pacers formally announced Wednesday afternoon that Theis was waived. The buyout is, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, intended to clear the way for Theis to join the Clippers, who recently lost center Mason Plumlee to injury.
Theis has appeared in just one game this season and played eight minutes. He missed Tuesday's game against the 76ers in Philadelphia for "personal reasons" though he was with the team in Philadelphia for Sunday's game. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle did not further explain the reasoning for Theis' absence beyond saying it was personal. The 31-year-old Theis was due $9.1 million on his contract this season with a club option for next season that would pay him $9.5 million if he was retained.
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The Pacers acquired Theis in July of 2022 from the Celtics in a trade that also brought forward Aaron Nesmith to Indiana and sent guard Malcolm Brodgdon to Boston. Theis had early-season knee surgery in November 2022 to address persistent knee pain and didn't return to action until February. He played in seven games last season before the Pacers decided to focus on getting playing time for younger centers Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson behind starter Myles Turner.
The Pacers did not move Theis this offseason and he arrived rejuvenated after helping Germany win the FIBA World Cup. However, Smith won the three-man battle for the backup center job behind Turner and is averaging 11.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game in just 16.1 minutes per game while shooting over 70% from the field.
Theis played in Thursday night's win over the Bucks and scored two points in eight minutes, but that's all the action he's seen so far. He expressed displeasure with the situation in an interview with Boston media earlier this month. The 6-8, 245-pound Theis is in his seventh year in the NBA and is averaging 7.5 points and 4.9 rebounds for his career. He was a key piece of three playoff teams in his time in Boston including the 2021-22 team that reached the NBA Finals before losing to Golden State.
Theis' departure comes at a time when the Pacers could be briefly short-handed at the 5. Smith suffered a head injury in Tuesday's game against Philadelphia when he took an elbow in the head from forward Marcus Morris Jr. Smith was taken to the hospital for further tests and did not return to Tuesday's game. Carlisle did not provide further information about Smith after Tuesday's game.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana Pacers news: Daniel Theis agrees to contract buyout
