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Pacers’ Daniel Theis “Not Happy” With Lack Of Minutes

November 3rd, 2023 at 12:47pm CST by Luke Adams

Through the first four games of the 2023/24 season, 14 of the 15 players on the Pacers‘ standard roster have appeared in at least two games and logged at least 18 total minutes. The only exception is center Daniel Theis, who has been a DNP-CD in all four contests.

Speaking to Brian Robb of MassLive on Wednesday, Theis admitted that he’s not thrilled by having a nonexistent role in Indiana so far this fall.

“Obviously after a great summer, I’m not happy with the situation I’m in right now,” Theis said. “I want to play and take all the good stuff from the summer into the season but it’s a long season. We are going to see what’s going on and what’s happening.”

Theis’ comments about his summer are references to the fact that he played a key role for the German national team en route to a gold medal in the World Cup. After being limited to just seven NBA appearances last season due to a knee injury, he averaged 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 21.8 minutes per game in Germany’s eight World Cup contests.

Theis had been hoping to carry over that success into the NBA season, but the Pacers have a crowded frontcourt behind starting center Myles Turner, with Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith also in the mix for minutes. Both players have been ahead of Theis on the depth chart in the early going.

“There’s communication but it’s also coach’s decision,” Theis told Robb. “I just stay ready, do my thing and whatever happens, happens.”

While Theis gave no indication that he’s seeking a trade or buyout at this point, his contract makes him a candidate for such a move. The 31-year-old is earning approximately $9.1MM in 2023/24 and has a $9.5MM team option for ’24/25, which will almost certainly be declined, so he’s essentially on an expiring deal.

Whether it happens in Indiana or somewhere else, Theis is clearly hoping to earn a bigger role at some point this season.

“I want to play and want to be part of the team, which is the most important thing,” he said.

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Central Notes: Pistons, Giannis, Hield, Theis, Jackson, Smith

September 28th, 2023 at 12:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Another Central Division team could be making a deal soon. While the Pistons can’t upstage Milwaukee’s acquisition of Damian Lillard, they have been active in trade talks over the last few weeks, James Edwards III of The Athletic reports.

Edwards speculates that James Wiseman, Marvin Bagley, Killian Hayes, Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks are the candidates to be dealt, which could clear a logjam at some positions and open up more playing time for the Pistons’ rookies. In Hayes’ case, the 2020 lottery pick doesn’t appear to be in the team’s plans after acquiring Monte Morris and drafting Marcus Sasser.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Speaking of Lillard, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says that despite the acquisition of the longtime All-Star guard, there’s no guarantee that Giannis Antetokounmpo will commit to the Bucks long-term (video link). Antetokounmpo has yet to sign an extension this offseason and has financial incentive to wait but he may want out if Milwaukee doesn’t win another championship this season. “Maybe they’re 10 percent better in terms of this title chase, maybe five percent. The real question is, ‘What does it mean for Giannis?,'” Windhorst said. “Giannis made it clear he was not going to sign an extension with this team. He wanted to see them go all-in. They have gone all-in. But if he still doesn’t sign an extension, they’re still on the one-year window.”
  • Even though general manager Chad Buchanan has downplayed reports that the Pacers are looking to trade Buddy Hield, giving second-year guard Bennedict Mathurin a starting job ahead of Hield could cause chemistry issues, Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star opines. Hield is in the final year of his contract and extension talks have stalled, Buchanan admitted this week, though they could be rekindled.
  • The Pacers have multiple options at center behind Myles Turner. Buchanan indicated that Daniel Theis, Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith will battle in training camp for the backup role, according to Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. Buchanan added he won’t look to trade any of those players until there’s more clarity regarding the rotation.
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Pacers Notes: Hield, Mathurin, Backup Center, Nembhard, McConnell

September 25th, 2023 at 11:58am CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers are in a difficult position trying to make a Buddy Hield trade so close to the start of the season, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. No progress has been reported since news broke last Wednesday that the team was working with Hield’s representatives to find a deal after the sides were unable to reach an agreement on a contract extension.

Dopirak believes Indiana is justified in asking a high price for Hield, who is one of the league’s top three-point shooters. However, teams are reluctant to shake up their rosters this far into the offseason, especially for a player who has an expiring contract.

It’s also not clear what the Pacers will be seeking in return for Hield. Dopirak notes that the team saw a need after last season to upgrade at power forward and find defensive-minded wings, but that has already been addressed during the offseason. He states that they’ll need three-point shooting help if they part with Hield and may be looking for a younger, less expensive player who can do what he does.

There’s more on the Pacers, all courtesy of Dopirak:

  • Bennedict Mathurin has a chance to win a starting job, but only if he can improve his defense. Dopirak observes that the first-team All-Rookie selection struggled with that part of the game, particularly when he got an opportunity to start late in the season. The Pacers are hoping to see progress from Mathurin in camp and will need him to take on a larger role if Hield gets traded.
  • Daniel Theis‘ impressive showing in the World Cup gives him a strong case to be the primary backup center heading into camp. Dopirak notes that he’ll be competing for minutes with Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith, who are both younger and more athletic than the 31-year-old Theis. He adds that Jackson is the team’s best lob finisher and second-best shot blocker behind Myles Turner, while Smith was Indiana’s leader last season in rebounds per 48 minutes.
  • The Pacers’ improved roster could lead to several other changes, Dopirak adds. If Mathurin and free agent addition Bruce Brown are both starters, Andrew Nembhard could move from shooting guard to backup point guard, which is his more natural position. That could lead to a reduction in playing time for T.J. McConnell, who posted the best scoring average of his career last season.
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Central Notes: Thompson, Theis, Pistons, Giannis

September 13th, 2023 at 9:44am CST by Luke Adams

Tristan Thompson‘s new contract with the Cavaliers is a one-year, minimum-salary deal that is guaranteed for just $200K, Hoops Rumors has learned. Thompson will earn his full $3.2MM salary if he remains under contract through at least January 7, though Cleveland’s cap hit for the season would be just $2.02MM, with the NBA covering the difference.

Here’s more

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Pacers Notes: Turner, Haliburton, Theis, Cap Room

February 1st, 2023 at 1:53pm CST by Luke Adams

As a result of his contract renegotiation and extension, Pacers center Myles Turner now has base salaries of $34,596,500 this season, $20,975,000 in 2023/24, and $19,928,500 in ’24/25, Hoops Rumors has learned. Since Turner’s original base salary for this season was $17.5MM, his deal features exactly $58MM in new money.

Turner could technically earn his maximum salary of $37,096,500 this season, since he has another $2.5MM in likely and unlikely incentives available in 2022/23 from his previous contract. In his two new extension years, he’ll have $3MM in total bonuses ($1.5MM annually), so the renegotiation-and-extension could be worth up to $61MM overall.

Here’s more on the Pacers:

  • Discussing his decision to sign an extension with Indiana, Turner expressed confidence in the direction of the franchise and suggested he believes he has plenty of room to continue improving, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. “I have such a strong belief in this organization and this city and what the city encompasses,” he said. “That’s a huge factor in my decision to stay it. … I’m just getting started. I’m just starting to feel like the best version of myself.”
  • Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has been sidelined since January 11 due to elbow and knee injuries, practiced on Tuesday and Wednesday and is on track to be available on Thursday when Indiana hosts the Lakers, head coach Rick Carlisle said today (Twitter link via the team).
  • Carlisle was less certain today about Daniel Theis‘ status for Thursday, tweets Dopirak, but the veteran center has been practicing this week and said after Tuesday’s session that he had “no pain (and) no issues,” according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files. Theis, out all season due to a knee ailment, continues to target a Thursday return, Agness adds.
  • If the Pacers want to make use of the $10.7MM in remaining cap room they still have available this season, they’ll have to renounce their cap hold for Tyreke Evans, notes ESPN’s Bobby Marks (via Twitter). Given that Evans hasn’t played in the NBA in 2019, the Pacers likely won’t hesitate to remove that cap hold from their books if an opportunity arises to take advantage of their cap space.
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Central Notes: Theis, Wade, Pistons, Bucks

January 29th, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers center Daniel Theis hopes to make his 2022/23 season debut this coming week, according to Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (subscription required). Acquired from Boston over the summer, Theis was dealing with recurring right knee soreness entering the season and underwent surgery in November to address the issue.

Although Theis seems unlikely to be part of the Pacers’ long-term plans, he has another guaranteed season on his contract beyond this one, so it would be a challenge for Indiana to extract much – if any – value for him at the February 9 trade deadline.

Here’s more from around the Central:

  • Cavaliers forward Dean Wade is getting an opportunity to show whether he can help solve the team’s issues on the wing, according to Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com, who notes that Wade’s minutes restriction following his return from a shoulder injury has been lifted. Fedor explores what it means for the rest of Cleveland’s rotation if Wade is getting regular playing time and whether there might be an odd man out.
  • It has been an up-and-down week for the Pistons. While Detroit’s impressive road win in Brooklyn on Thursday served as a reminder that the team’s future is worth believing in, per James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, Saturday’s home loss to Houston was the worst of the season and signaled that a trade deadline deal should be welcomed, Edwards contends in another story for The Athletic.
  • Eric Nehm of The Athletic evaluates a series of reader-proposed trades for the Bucks. Nehm considers hypothetical deals involving Cam Reddish, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Josh Hart, among others, but concludes that none of them quite work, with either Milwaukee or its proposed trade partner likely to say no.
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Central Notes: McConnell, Theis, Bogdanovic, Bucks

January 10th, 2023 at 7:52pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard T.J. McConnell took a hit to his right shoulder on Sunday but an MRI showed the shoulder was “stable” and he was able to practice on Tuesday, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star reports.

“I think it was one of those weird plays where I just got hit in a bad spot,” McConnell said. “I was a little worried at the beginning and it was really painful, but our training staff is awesome, they worked on it. They said it was stable and the MRI showed that there was nothing seriously wrong. So it’s just about playing through the pain right now knowing it’s good, it’s stable. I said that I missed enough games last year, I can play through a little bit of pain.”

McConnell is in the second season of a four-year, $33.6MM contract.

We have more from the Central Division:

  • Daniel Theis is showing progress from his latest knee surgery in November and he could make his Pacers debut in the coming weeks, Dopirak notes in the same story. Theis was acquired from the Celtics in July as part of the package Boston gave up for point guard Malcolm Brogdon. “I don’t know that there’s any real set, hard timetable on Theis’ availability to play in a game but he’s weeks, not months away,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “That’s good news.”
  • As if the Pistons didn’t have enough injury issues, leading scorer Bojan Bogdanovic missed Tuesday’s game against Philadelphia due to left calf soreness, Mike Curtis of the Detroit News tweets. Rookie center Jalen Duren missed his second straight game due to right ankle soreness and Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) was a late scratch.
  • The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Jim Owczarski breaks downs the Bucks’ cap situation, key dates and luxury tax implications of any moves they might make before the trade deadline. He notes that Jordan Nwora and Bobby Portis will be eligible to be traded as of Jan. 15, while Pat Connaughton becomes eligible to be moved on Jan. 18.
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Central Notes: Stewart, Theis, Bucks, DeRozan, LaVine, Allen

December 29th, 2022 at 10:28pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Starting Pistons center Isaiah Stewart has emerged as a key leader for a rebuilding 9-28 Detroit team this season, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Edwards notes that the third-year big man, still just 21 years old, has become the team’s de facto main presence with star point guard Cade Cunningham shelved indefinitely.

“I’ve been sitting back and just seeing his growth, his progress on the floor and as a leader,” journeyman Detroit shooting guard Rodney McGruder told Edwards. “He’s being more vocal in the locker room, on the bench, in timeouts and in huddles.”

McGruder has spoken with Stewart about being more careful not to show frustration or disappointment on the court during games.

“For me, personally, that’s another growth step in regards to not showing that body language,” Stewart told Edwards. “I do feel like that kind of helped me in terms of learning how to talk to my teammates. You can talk to a certain teammate a certain way, other teammates you can’t talk to a certain way. That aspect has helped me.”

Through 30 games in 2022/23, Stewart is averaging a career-best 11.7 PPG on .467/.373/.742 shooting splits. He is also pulling down 7.8 RPG and dishing out 1.2 APG.

There’s more out of the Central Division:

  • The health of reserve Pacers center Daniel Theis appears to be improving as he continues to rehabilitate from a preseason knee scope, notes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files (Twitter link). The 6’8″ big man was spotted working through on-court shootarounds, per Jeremiah Johnson of Bally Sports Indiana (via Twitter).
  • The Bucks‘ 139-118 blowout Christmas loss to the Celtics looked a lot like last year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. Nehm notes that Boston was frequently able to free up All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum for exploitable mismatches on offense. “He had a big night of tough shot-making and, at some point, it’s on me to maybe change it up, give him a different look, but credit to Jayson tonight,” Milwaukee head coach Mike Budenholzer said of Tatum, who scored 41 points in the Celtics’ win.
  • In Wednesday’s 119-113 overtime Bulls victory over the Bucks, Chicago All-Star DeMar DeRozan took exception to a hard forearm in his back courtesy of Milwaukee shooting guard Grayson Allen, and there was a brief dust-up with play stopped. After the game, both DeRozan and Zach LaVine alluded to Allen’s reputation for borderline plays, per Rob Schaefer of NBC Sports Chicago. Though video review indicated that Bulls forward Patrick Williams initially fouled Allen, who then fell into DeRozan, Chicago’s stars remained frustrated. “I didn’t know if it was on purpose or what happened,” DeRozan said. “I just felt a hit. That’s all it was.” LaVine weighed in as well: “We know his (Allen’s) track record. Pat got the foul, but DeMar got elbowed in the back of the head. It is what it is. We made up for it with a big win. DeMar responded the right way. The next 20 minutes, you saw what happened.”
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Daniel Theis Out Indefinitely Following Right Knee Surgery

November 10th, 2022 at 5:30pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Veteran Pacers reserve center Daniel Theis will be sidelined for the indefinite future, the team has announced in a press release.

Theis, who was dealing with recurring right knee soreness, underwent surgery to address the issue. The Pacers noted in their statement that Theis’ status “will be updated as appropriate.”

This is not a major loss in terms of on-court contributions, as Theis has yet to play in a single game for Indiana this season. The 30-year-old has spent the majority of his career with the Celtics, outside of half-year stints with the Bulls and Rockets.

The 6’8″ big man inked a four-year deal worth up to $36MM with Houston in a 2021 sign-and-trade, but was subsequently flipped back to the Celtics midway through the season. In total, he appeared in 47 contests, averaging 8.2 PPG on 51.9% field goal shooting, plus 4.9 RPG, 0.9 APG and 0.7 BPG, across just 20.8 MPG.

Theis’ $8.7MM cap hit meant he was a logical piece to be included for salary matching purposes in Boston’s offseason acquisition of former Pacers guard Malcolm Brogdon.

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Pacers Rumors: Turner, Hield, Theis, Smith

November 4th, 2022 at 2:37pm CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files said he believes the Pacers originally intended to move Myles Turner rather than Domantas Sabonis at last season’s trade deadline. However, Turner went down with an injury and an opportunity arose to acquire Tyrese Haliburton using Sabonis, so Indiana jumped at it.

Although Turner remains with the Pacers for now, Agness believes it’s more likely than not that he and Buddy Hield finish the 2022/23 season with another team.

The Lakers have been the team most often mentioned as landing spot for the veteran duo, but Agness thinks Indiana will want to hold firm to its reported asking price of two unprotected first-round picks for Turner and Hield. As Agness notes, the small-market Pacers won’t have forgotten that the Lakers previously tampered with Paul George and won’t be eager to give them what they want.

It’s unclear whether the Nets have any interest in Turner, but Scotto says that general manager Sean Marks recently spoke to Pacers executives Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Happy Walters when the two teams faced one another in a back-to-back set in Brooklyn on Saturday and Monday.

Here are a few more highlights from the conversation between Agness and Scotto:

  • Agness and Scotto both believe Turner will be seeking at least $20-25MM annually on his next contract, with Scotto citing Atlanta big man Clint Capela as a point of comparison (Capela’s most recent extension was worth $21.5MM per year). Agness, meanwhile, suggests that Turner would like to get more individual recognition for his play – including leading the NBA in blocks per game multiple times – which could be a factor in his free agency decision next summer.
  • While Turner and Hield are the Pacers veterans most frequently mentioned as trade candidates, Agness says center Daniel Theis should be added to that group too. The veteran center has yet to play for Indiana this season, with the team citing right knee soreness on its injury reports.
  • According to Scotto, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has referred to Jalen Smith as an “important part of our future.” As Agness details, Carlisle flew to Maryland during free agency to meet with Smith and have dinner with him and his parents.
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