Thomas Bryant

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Bryant, Walker, Bradley

June 1st, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam lifted the Pacers into the NBA Finals with the kind of performance the team envisioned when it traded for him in the middle of last season, writes Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. Siakam was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals after capping a tremendous series with a 31-point night. Indiana officials believed his talent on both ends of the court, along with the championship experience he gained in Toronto, made him the perfect addition to take a young team to new heights.

“Well, if you have the right player to build around, it can happen much faster than you think,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Getting Tyrese (Haliburton) made it very clear what our identity as a team needed to be. We needed to be a fast-paced team with shooting, and we had some good shooting at the time. The Siakam trade took things to another level.”

Siakam made an immediate impact after being acquired in January of 2024, averaging 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the rest of the season and helping Indiana reach the conference finals. Taylor notes that his leadership skills became evident after losing that series, as he invited his teammates to his home during the offseason to further build their chemistry.

“We brought in a champion, and then you brought in someone that’s been there before … someone who had to work his way up,” Myles Turner said. “He’s a G League champion, G League Finals MVP, and (an) All-Star. (He’s) someone who’s also seen the highs and lows and (has) that championship experience. There’s only so much I can tell guys. When you have someone who’s actually been in trenches, who has actually felt what it feels like … it’s so underrated, just the emotions this time of the year. You don’t sleep. You lose hair. You can’t explain that if you’ve never been here before.”

There’s more from Indiana:

Thomas Bryant was moved to tears during the Pacers’ celebration Saturday night, per James Boyd of The Athletic. It’s not a moment the backup center could have expected earlier in the season when he was stuck on the end of Miami’s bench. His fortunes changed after James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson both suffered Achilles tears, prompting Indiana to acquire him in December for the low price of a 2031 second-round pick swap. Bryant enjoyed one of the high points of his career on Saturday, contributing 11 points, three rebounds and one block in 13 minutes. “It’s a lot of emotions, man, just going through the past year of just the ups and downs of the NBA,” he said. “Playing, not playing, being totally out of the lineup, getting spare minutes here and there. And then, getting traded and not really knowing what the future might hold, but you just know you wanted to come contribute to a team and try to help them win in any way possible.”
Jarace Walker was on crutches as he celebrated with his teammates, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The second-year power forward suffered a sprained right ankle early in the fourth quarter while battling for a rebound. He had to crawl off the court as New York got possession of the ball, and he needed help to get to the locker room. “It’s an ankle,” Carlisle confirmed. “He’s on crutches. He’s young. That’s good. I did not see a replay of the play, so I don’t know how far turned over it was, how much weight. But when a guy goes down and stays down like that, you’re always holding your breath.”
Tony Bradley was declared active shortly before game time, but Carlisle opted not to use him in the wake of a left hip injury he suffered in Game 5, Dopirak tweets. “He was available but unable to really run and extend at full speed,” Carlisle explained.

Aaron Nesmith Ready For Game 6; Tony Bradley Cleared To Play

May 31st, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

7:00pm: Bradley will be active, tweets Steve Popper of Newsday.

6:12pm: Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith has responded well to treatment on his sprained right ankle and should be ready for a full workload in tonight’s Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link).

In his pregame session with the media, coach Rick Carlisle said the team has been giving Nesmith extra rest to aid the healing process, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. That includes cutting down the preparation routine he normally does to get ready for games. He played just 16 minutes in the Game 5 loss — finishing with three points, two rebounds and a steal — but wasn’t listed on the team’s injury report for tonight.

With Nesmith limited, backup swingman Bennedict Mathurin logged 25 minutes on Thursday, his largest total of the series. Mathurin was the Pacers’ most productive player in Game 5, finishing with 23 points and nine rebounds while shooting 6-of-10 from the field and 2-of-4 from three-point range.

“He’s learned a lot,” Carlisle said of Mathurin (Twitter link from Dopirak). “There’s an experience factor of playing in the games. … He’s a better man for the experience.”

Indiana is less certain about the status of reserve center Tony Bradley, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). Sources tell Scotto that Bradley is still being treated for his injured left hip and will be a game-time decision. Bradley got hurt in Game 5 when he was fouled on a layup attempt.

Bradley didn’t play in the series opener, but Carlisle began using him regularly after the Knicks inserted center Mitchell Robinson into their starting lineup. If Bradley is unavailable, Carlisle may have to turn to Thomas Bryant, who has played nine total minutes over the past four games.

Central Notes: Pacers, Bryant, Pistons, Duren, Giannis

May 14th, 2025 at 10:51am CST by Dana Gauruder

The intensity and pace at which the Pacers play makes them a tough out in the postseason. Indiana dusted off a weary, banged-up Cavaliers team in five games and now awaits the winner of the Boston-New York series in the Pacers’ second straight trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

“It’s hard to play at our pace over a seven-game series,” guard Tyrese Haliburton told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “It’s hard to play at our pace in a one-game series. I think we’re doing a great job of playing our way, controlling what we can. I really feel like that’s important. Coach has been stressing that the last few years. It’s not just about one game, it’s how can you wear on teams for 48 minutes every game every day. I feel like we did that with our physicality, we did that with our pace, many different ways.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

In-season acquisition Thomas Bryant played an underrated role in Game 5 on Tuesday, Dopirak notes. The veteran center made several key third-quarter plays that swung the momentum in the Pacers’ favor. He finished with nine points on 4-of-6 shooting, along with three rebounds. “Thomas Bryant in the second half gave us some of the greatest minutes you can ask of a backup center,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He ran. He rebounded. The three in the right corner was enormous during a run where we were starting to get into their legs a little big. His enthusiasm, it just permeates our team.”
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com tackles a number of topics in his latest mailbag, ranking the Pistons’ priorities this offseason, in order, as player development, retention of their own free agents and a strategic addition via trade or free agency.
Center Jalen Duren is eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason and his growth this season stamps him as an integral part of the franchise’s future, Langlois writes. The Pistons’ lead executive, Trajan Langdon, indicated as much during his postseason press conference. “J.D. took a huge step,” Langdon said. “After the first 25 games of the season, he was a different player the last 50, 60 games of the season. Got off to a slow start and we’re going to push him this summer, as well, and I think he’s willing to take that up to another level.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade, though he’s reportedly open to considering the idea of joining another team. The Athletic’s trio of Sam Amick, Eric Nehm and David Aldridge take a closer view of how this offseason might play out regarding the Bucks’ superstar, noting that the next move — whether to stay or go — is up to him.

Central Notes: Cunningham, LaVine, Vucevic, Bryant, Horton-Tucker, Middleton

January 9th, 2025 at 10:53am CST by Dana Gauruder

The surprising Pistons have won five straight games heading into their matchup against Golden State on Thursday. After his team defeated the Nets on Wednesday, Cade Cunningham told Hunter Patterson of The Athletic that it’s just the start of the franchise’s turnaround.

“It feels good,” said Cunningham, who signed a maximum-salary rookie scale extension last summer. “We’re still hungry though, man. We’re not satisfied. It is a satisfying feeling, but we’re not satisfied at all.”

We have more from the Central Division:

The Bulls may be looking to deal Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic but their head coach believes both players should receive All-Star consideration despite the team’s mediocre record, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes. “You get a chance to see those guys play every night and there’s no question in my mind, just based on what these guys have performed through – whatever it is 35 or 36 games – they have performed at an All-Star level,” Billy Donovan said. “Both of those two have. I think the stats will back that up.” LaVine and Vucevic are the team’s top scorers, averaging a combined 43.5 points per game.
With Myles Turner sidelined by an illness, Thomas Bryant pumped in a season-high 22 points with eight rebounds in the Pacers’ win over Chicago on Wednesday. “He was great,” coach Rick Carlisle told Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “He played efficient. He played smart. He seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. He had a couple of important putbacks in key moments of the game. He brings a real positive energy just as a person out there too along with being a heck of a player. … I don’t know that we win the game without him.” Bryant was traded by Miami to Indiana in mid-December.
Talen Horton-Tucker‘s veteran’s minimum contract with the Bulls becomes fully guaranteed on Friday. Horton-Tucker – who has received steady rotation minutes, appearing in 30 games off the bench and averaging 6.3 points – says he’s grateful that he’ll be sticking around. “It’s a blessing to be here the rest of the season,” he said, per K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (Twitter link). “I’m excited to get to work and hope to be here as long as possible.”
Bucks forward Khris Middleton believes that his reserve role is only temporary, he told Jim Owczarski of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “I mean, I know what type of player I am,” he said. “Just for the time being I need to come off the bench. It is what it is. But I’m confident in this team, I’m confident in myself and this is the role I have to play for the time being.” Coach Doc Rivers says it has more to do with Middleton’s health than anything else. “He’s not starting (Wednesday), but more just the minute thing,” Rivers said. “He keeps getting the tendinitis (in his ankle). It’s just not improving to the place he wants it or we want it. So we’re just going to monitor and cut his minutes back a little bit and try to makes sure he can get through this.”

Heat Notes: Bryant, Spoelstra, 14th Roster Spot, Butler

December 16th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Erik Spoelstra cited “flexibility” as one reason why the Heat decided to trade big man Thomas Bryant to the Pacers for a 2031 second-round pick swap, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The parting sounds quite amicable, with Spoelstra praising Bryant for staying upbeat amid a challenging individual season — he wasn’t a regular part of Miami’s rotation.

“We’re all big fans of TB,” Spoelstra said. “And what you have in this profession is your reputation, your character, obviously your talent. But when you make an impression on everybody here and everybody feels the same way, that’s a win. He deserves the opportunity to play.

“These are always thought decisions, especially when you make ’em during the season. But I think this is one of the cases where it makes sense for both parties. And because he was such a pro, we worked with TB and his agent to make this happen.”

Here’s more from Miami:

After trading Bryant, the Heat have just 13 players on standard contracts (they had only been carrying 14 instead of the maximum 15 due tax concerns). As of Sunday, they have 14 days to fill the 14th spot — they’re expected to take the full two weeks to make that decision. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a look at the many implications of the open 14th roster spot, including the players who could be positively impacted.
The Heat are listening to trade offers for Jimmy Butler. He’s reportedly contemplating a future outside of Miami, with several reports indicating he plans to decline his player option for next season to hit free agency in the offseason. The Heat could trade Butler, but should they? Winderman considers that question in a subscriber-only story.
In case you missed it, we passed along more Heat notes yesterday, plus several notes and rumors involving Butler over the past few days.

Central Notes: Bryant, LaVine, Ball, Vucevic, Harris

December 15th, 2024 at 9:50pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers didn’t waste any time getting Thomas Bryant on the court. After officially being acquired on Sunday, Bryant had seven points and two rebounds in 11 minutes against the Pelicans.

“It was a little hectic but everybody accepted me and they helped me through the whole time. It felt great being out there with the guys,” Bryant said via a video posted by the Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak.

Bryant provides depth at the center spot, a position where Indiana has suffered two season-ending injuries. He appeared in only 10 games with Miami this season.

“I know there’s a big need to have another ‘five’ here. Just trying to fill that role here with the guys and talking with them as well, just trying to see what I can bring, what I can do with them. … They just want me to play my game,” Bryant said.

We have more from the Central Division:

Bulls wing Zach LaVine is questionable to play against Toronto on Monday due to lower back spasms, K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network tweets. LaVine is averaging 21.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game this season.
The Bulls continue to aggressively shop Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic and LaVine, among other players, as they look to stay in the loaded 2025 draft lottery, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports. Chicago owes San Antonio a first-rounder but it’s top-10 protected for 2025. Moving LaVine’s contract this season is more of a pipe dream than a reality, the source told Cowley, unless there’s a major injury or another unexpected development.
The Pistons won’t have starting forward Tobias Harris against Miami on Monday. He’s dealing with a right thumb sprain, Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press tweets.

Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Bryant, Richardson, Larsson

December 15th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although the Heat are reportedly open to trade offers for six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler ahead of the February 6 deadline, The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link) argues that pushing any decision on a move to the offseason could be the best way for the club to extract maximum value.

Butler, 35, has a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 with Miami. Even in his 14th season and with plenty of playoff mileage, the 6’7″ forward is still a lethal player on both ends of the hardwood. He has helped lead Miami to a 13-10 record on the season.

Through 18 healthy contests, the five-time All-NBA honoree is averaging 18.6 points per game on .550/.360/.778 shooting splits, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. If he can avoid major injury, Butler figures to remain firmly in the All-Star and All-NBA conversation this season, regardless of which team is paying him.

There’s more out of Miami:

Just after being reinserted into the Heat’s rotation, third-year Miami forward Nikola Jovic suffered a left ankle sprain in a Saturday team practice, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time, if any, he is expected to miss. Through 15 games, including eight starts, the 6’10” big man is averaging 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals per night.
The Heat are expected to wait a full 14 days to add a 14th man to their roster following their trade of now-former reserve center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, Chiang reports in another piece. Remaining below 14 players for the maximum allowable two weeks will save the team some tax money at season’s end. Chiang notes that Miami may opt to upgrade one of its two-way players to a standard roster spot, with guard Dru Smith being the likeliest contender.
Heat swingman Josh Richardson missed the club’s latest practice due to his lingering left heel injury, while guard Pelle Larsson did limited work on the side, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Larsson is recuperating from a sprained ankle, which has kept him on the shelf since December 4. Richardson, 31, has appeared in a scant eight contests for Miami this season. He hasn’t played since mid-November.

Heat Trade Thomas Bryant To Pacers

December 15th, 2024 at 9:47am CST by Rory Maher

DECEMBER 15: The trade is official, the Pacers announced in a press release. Bryant is expected to be available for today’s game against New Orleans.

DECEMBER 13: The Heat have agreed to trade veteran center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

In exchange for Bryant, Miami will acquire the right to swap 2031 second-round picks with the Pacers, according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The deal will have to wait until Sunday, as that’s when Bryant becomes trade-eligible.

As Chiang notes (Twitter links), by dumping Bryant’s salary, the Heat will soon have just 13 players on standard contracts and more financial flexibility to potentially convert a player on a two-way deal to a standard contract — this morning we identified Dru Smith as a possible candidate to be promoted.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv hears the Pacers discussed sending James Wiseman to the Heat in the deal, but he won’t be included in the final version (Twitter link). Wiseman is out for the season after sustaining a torn Achilles tendon on opening night.

The Pacers won’t have to send out matching salary to acquire Bryant, since his contract can be taken on using the minimum-salary exception. Since Indiana has an open standard roster spot, the team also won’t need to waive anyone to add Bryant.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Heat will save $4.7MM toward their projected luxury tax payment by moving off Bryant’s $2,087,519 salary. They’ll also create a traded player exception worth the exact amount of Bryant’s outgoing contract. Miami will be approximately $3.7MM below the second tax apron once the deal is finalized, Marks adds.

Charania reported a few days ago that Indiana was “actively pursuing” a backup center in the wake of season-ending injuries to Wiseman and fellow big man Isaiah Jackson, who also suffered a torn Achilles tendon this fall. Jake Fischer confirmed that report today, with league sources indicating a deal would likely be completed shortly after Dec. 15, when many players around the NBA become eligible to be traded.

Assuming the trade is completed on Sunday, the Heat will have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th player to their standard roster. The club will also now have the ability to add a 15th man while staying below the second apron, if it so chooses.

Bryant, 27, is an eight-year veteran, having previously played for the Lakers, Wizards and Nuggets prior to joining Miami. He won a title with Denver in 2023, though his role was very limited. The big man played his college ball in Indiana with the Hoosiers from 2015-17.

After being in and out of Miami’s rotation in 2023/24, Bryant’s role fluctuated once again fluctuated this season. He averaged 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 11.5 minutes per game across 10 outings with the Heat this fall after re-signing on a one-year, minimum-salary deal over the offseason.

Bryant’s one-year deal with Miami would typically have given him the right to veto a trade, but he agreed to waive that right as part of his contract agreement.

Heat Notes: Smith, Bryant, Love, Rozier

December 9th, 2024 at 11:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Dru Smith was still recovering from an ACL injury when the Heat signed him to a two-way contract in July, and the third-year shooting guard is rewarding their faith in him, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel. Smith was nine games into last season when he hurt his knee on a fall off the courtside ledge in Cleveland. He was dropped from the roster so the Heat could add veteran help, but he remained in the team’s future plans.

Smith scored 11 points in the fourth quarter Sunday as Miami topped the East-leading Cavaliers. He admitted there was some satisfaction in having a big night against the team he was facing when his season ended so abruptly.

“I think it was definitely full circle,” he said. “I think despite whatever it was, it was just nice to have those moments. I don’t have any hard feelings toward the team or the organization.”

Winderman notes that Smith still wears a brace on his right knee and a sleeve to protect the leg, but otherwise there are no indications of the severe injury he suffered a little more than a year ago. He has become a recent fixture in the Heat’s rotation, playing 25:38 on Sunday after logging a career-high 29:19 on Saturday and being on the court for the entire fourth quarter in both games.

“The ball finds energy,” he said, “so just continuing to try to play hard and just make the right play, and eventually things work out.”

There’s more from Miami:

Thomas Bryant discussed several topics in an interview with Cyro Asseo de Choch of HoopsHype, including the possibility of being traded after re-signing with the Heat on a one-year, minimum-salary contract. “You deal with that throughout the NBA, man,” Bryant said. “So it’s a business. You can’t take anything personal. And for me, I’ve never looked at a team to be like, I wanna be traded from here, this or that. No, I look at it as this is who I’m with. This is the guys that I’m trying to build with and build the chemistry and win games with. So I never go into the season thinking that mindset.”
Bryant played ahead of Kevin Love as the Heat’s primary backup center in the second half of Sunday’s game, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Coach Erik Spoelstra explained that it was a situational decision after Cleveland outscored Miami by 11 points in Love’s 4:50 on the court. “The way they were shifting us and moving us around, it’s not an indictment on K-Love at all,” Spoelstra said. “It’s just what they do for this particular night was kind of getting us scrambled. So we went a different way, and TB gave us a spark. We were able to stabilize.”
Terry Rozier was more aggressive about looking for his shot in his new role off the bench, Chiang adds. Rozier put up nine shots in the first half on Sunday, and then five more after halftime. “All my coaches and all my teammates always just remind me to be who I am and telling me to attack and be myself,” he said. “I just got to do that every night.”

Heat Notes: Ware, Butler, Larsson, Rotation, Herro

November 9th, 2024 at 10:15am CST by Tristan Tucker

Heat No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware got his first meaningful action on Wednesday against Phoenix. He was the second-string center for the first time in his rookie campaign, impressing his teammates in 13 minutes of play, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes.

“I think he did great,” Heat star Jimmy Butler said. “Jumping up there, contesting shots, rebounding, he made a three, made a little hook. The more plays, the more reps that he gets, the more comfortable he’s going to get and he’s going to be able to pick his spots a lot better on the floor. That only comes with time and reps.”

The Indiana product is averaging 2.3 points in just 6.0 minutes per game in four appearances this fall. His role is likely to gradually increase as the season goes on.

“He’s been really progressing quickly behind the scenes,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said after Wednesday. “He kept himself ready. I thought his minutes were very good. I thought they were encouraging.”

Ware again played ahead of Thomas Bryant in Friday’s loss, but he committed two early fouls, resulting in Bryant seeing more minutes. When Kevin Love returns to the rotation, Ware could be moved back to the end of the rotation, but he’s thankful for getting the chance to contribute early.

“It’s satisfying,” Ware said. “I guess you could say it’s more a dream come true because you put in the work to be able to perform at your best. That’s always good to me.”

We have more from the Heat:

Butler exited the team’s Friday matchup with the Nuggets due to a sprained ankle and was later ruled out for the remainder of the contest, Chiang reports. With the team at 3-5, the Heat are now facing the possibility of being without Butler for a handful of games. The star swingman missed two games with a sprained ankle last season and he did stay in the game immediately after sustaining this injury, so it seems unlikely to result in an extended absence.
Rookie second-round pick Pelle Larsson started the second half in place of Butler. It’s the fourth straight game Larsson has received double-digit minutes, Chiang relays. The Arizona product is averaging 6.6 points this season while making 64.7% of his shots and 45.5% of his three-pointers.
Amid speculation that Haywood Highsmith could replace Nikola Jovic in the starting lineup, the Wheeling Jesuit alum again started the third quarter over Jovic, Chiang details in the same piece. However, Jovic played more than the five minutes he did in Wednesday’s contest, finishing Friday’s game with 19 minutes played. “[Jovic] knows the deal,” Spoelstra said. “Look, I’m not going to change the standards. He knows what the deal is. It has to be a level of energy and effort, make an impact. It’s not just him. That’s an easy target. Look the game gets in a double-digit game, you’re grasping for whatever. And at that point, I have to make decisions. If something is not working, I’m paid to make decisions and go to something else.“
If the Heat make rotation changes, subbing in Highsmith for Jovic would make some level of sense, opines Ira Winderman of South Florida’s Sun Sentinel. Winderman also writes that he’d put Duncan Robinson in the starting lineup over Terry Rozier, allowing Rozier to serve as a spark off the bench and the second unit to consist of Love, Jaime Jaquez, Larsson and Alec Burks.
Herro has served as the cornerstone of consistency for the Heat this season, Winderman writes in a separate piece. With Butler and Adebayo’s offensive production fluctuating in the early part of the season, Herro’s helped the team keep games close by averaging 22.9 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 49.6% from the field and 45.1% from three. “He’s been really focused on that, committed to being efficient,” Spoelstra said. “His profile has been great. He’s got great confidence. But the last couple years, his game has really grown, and now it’s just taking that next step of efficiency, reading defenders, and making the right play over and over and over.“

Load More Posts