- The Pacers are awaiting the results of tests on Jalen Smith. He was taken to a Philadelphia-area hospital after suffering a head injury during their game against the Sixers on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press (link via ESPN). Smith collided with the Sixers’ Paul Reed as Reed elevated for a dunk during the second quarter.
2:25pm: The Pacers have officially waived Theis, according to a team press release.
11:54am: Theis has agreed to a buyout with the Pacers and intends to sign with the Clippers upon clearing waivers, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link).
11:42am: The Pacers and center Daniel Theis are engaged in “serious” discussions about a potential contract buyout, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, who reports (via Twitter) that an agreement between the two sides would clear a path for Theis to sign with the Clippers.
After previously reporting the Clippers’ interest in Theis, Charania doesn’t explicitly say that the big man has reached a deal to sign with Los Angeles. However, he suggests that the only obstacles standing in the way of a move to L.A. for the veteran big man are a finalized buyout with Indiana and a physical exam with the Clippers.
Theis, 31, was limited to just seven NBA appearances last season due to a knee injury, but had a strong summer in international competition. He started at center for the German national team that captured gold at the 2023 World Cup, averaging 10.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists in 21.8 minutes per game in the club’s eight FIBA contests.
Theis had hoped to carry over that success into the NBA season, but the Pacers have a crowded frontcourt behind starting center Myles Turner. Isaiah Jackson and Jalen Smith have both been ahead of Theis on the depth chart through the first three weeks of the season.
As a result, Theis has been limited to just one cameo appearance and admitted earlier this month that he’s “not happy” about his nonexistent role in Indiana. While the Pacers presumably explored trading the German, his pseudo-expiring $9.11MM contract (he has a $9.52MM team option for 2024/25) wouldn’t have positive or even neutral value, given his lack of NBA playing time in the last two seasons, so a buyout makes more sense.
For their part, the Clippers are in the market for help in the middle because reserve center Mason Plumlee is expected to miss a significant chunk of the season due to an MCL sprain. Since Plumlee went down, Los Angeles has had a tough time finding someone who can give the club reliable minutes at center behind Ivica Zubac.
The Clippers have been carrying just 13 players on standard contracts since making their trade for James Harden two weeks ago, so they’ll have an open spot for Theis even after completing their reported promotion of Joshua Primo from a two-way contract to the standard roster. That move was reported back on November 6, but hasn’t yet been made official — that will likely happen later today, since teams aren’t permitted to carry fewer than 14 players on standard contracts for more than two weeks at a time.
Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files first reported on Tuesday that there was a “growing belief” Theis would soon land with the Clippers.
Warriors star Stephen Curry has been ruled out of the team’s in-season tournament game on Tuesday vs. Minnesota due to right knee soreness, per ESPN’s Kendra Andrews.
In the last meeting between the two teams on Sunday, Curry took a hard fall following a drive to the net in the fourth quarter (Twitter video link via Anthony Slater of The Athletic). Although he remained in the game, the veteran guard was seen rubbing his right knee after that play.
Sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link) that Curry is believed to have a sprain in the affected knee. He’s undergoing more testing to determine the severity of the injury, but the initial expectation is that he shouldn’t be out for long, per Charania.
As we detailed on Monday, the Warriors have been relying heavily on Curry on offense this season and will need some of their other players to step up with the two-time MVP unavailable. Dario Saric is the only other player on the roster who has scored at least 20 points in a game this season, according to Andrews.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- There’s a “growing belief” that the Clippers will add Daniel Theis to their roster soon, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, citing a league source. As Agness acknowledges, Theis would likely need to reach a buyout agreement with the Pacers to get to Los Angeles, since the Clippers aren’t well positioned to trade for him. L.A.’s interest in the veteran center was previously reported.
- The Kings got a boost on Monday when De’Aaron Fox returned from a five-game absence to lead the team to a 132-120 win over Cleveland. Fox was one of four starters to score at least 20 points, but the fifth starter – Harrison Barnes – continued to struggle, contributing just four points for a second straight game. Head coach Mike Brown isn’t worried about Barnes, praising the forward’s performance on defense, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. “I think he struggled at the beginning of the season, too, and so for me, as long as he continues to show consistency, especially defensively, I’m fine with it,” Brown said. “He’s taking the right shots and all that other stuff, so I kind of like where he is knowing — and I’m sure he feels the same — that he can play much better, especially offensively, and he will.”
- While expecting Devin Booker‘s presence to heal all that ails the Suns may be unrealistic, the star guard can immediately help the team with his scoring, play-making, and defensive communication, says Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Booker is reportedly on track to return from his right calf strain on Wednesday.
- Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton says he has no qualms about lobbying free agents to join him in Indiana, he told Rob Mahoney of The Ringer. “I play a style of basketball that people want to play,” said Haliburton, who signed a max five-year extension over the summer. “I think that’s part of the reason why they signed me to the deal they signed me to. I’ve got long-term stability here because they know that I can help bring people here—not only with who I am as a basketball player, but who I am as a person.”
- Daniel Theis could become a buyout candidate if the Pacers can’t find a trade they like for the veteran big man, Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files states in his latest mailbag column (subscriber only). The Clippers had interest in Theis over the summer, and that rumor reemerged after an injury to Mason Plumlee. Theis has only appeared in one game this season.
- After an impressive debut season which saw him earn a spot on the All-Rookie First Team, Bennedict Mathurin had been struggling — on both ends of the court — with the adjustment of being a full-time starter in 2023/24, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. But the Pacers guard snapped out of his slump in Wednesday’s victory over Utah, recording 22 points (on 9-of-18 shooting), nine rebounds, four assists and two steals in 38 minutes. “I thought this was probably Benn’s best game in two years,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “People want to see him shoot a bunch of shots and score a bunch of points, but that isn’t necessarily what wins. What wins is being a part of a system, doing your job within a system, taking the right shots within a system, running to the corner when your job is to run to the corner and making simple plays. I thought tonight he took some major steps.”
Mason Plumlee will be sidelined for “multiple months” with an MCL sprain in his left knee, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link). The Clippers are optimistic that Plumlee will be able to return sometime before the end of the season, Charania adds.
The team is considering several veteran big men as potential replacements, Charania hears, including Pacers backup center Daniel Theis. He states that Indiana isn’t “rushed” to make a move with Theis, but is willing to listen to offers.
Plumlee suffered the injury Monday when Knicks forward Julius Randle hit his knee while diving for a ball. Plumlee couldn’t put any weight on the knee and had to be helped off the court by two members of the team’s training staff.
The 33-year-old center had appeared in all six of L.A.’s games before the injury and was averaging 5.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in 17 minutes per night. The Clippers acquired him from Charlotte in a February trade, and he re-signed with the team this summer.
Theis, who hasn’t played yet this season, expressed unhappiness with his situation in Indiana last week. He is currently fourth among centers on the Pacers’ depth chart and doesn’t appear to have a future with the team.
After playing just seven games last season, Theis was hoping for an expanded role following his performance with Germany in the World Cup this summer, but it looks like a trade or buyout is the only way that will happen.
Theis makes $9.1MM this season, and his contract includes a $9.5MM team option for 2024/25.
- Daniel Theis, who expressed displeasure with his lack of minutes, hasn’t been able to crack the Pacers’ rotation and coach Rick Carlisle explained his reasoning, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star tweets. “Jalen Smith has really won the (backup center) position. … Daniel is a very good player, no question about it, and he’s working really hard to stay ready. I know he doesn’t like sitting, but he’s being professional about it,” Carlisle said. Smith is averaging 11.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. The club holds a $9,522,404 option on Theis’ contract for next season, which seems likely to be declined.
The Celtics are the NBA’s only unbeaten team and Kristaps Porzingis believes they’re just scratching the surface of how good they can become, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Boston underwent major roster changes during the offseason, but the adjustment has gone smoothly with several dominant performances on the way to a 4-0 start.
Himmelsbach notes that the new Big Three of Porzingis, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have outscored opponents by 33.2 points per 100 possessions in the 86 minutes they’ve been on the court together. They’ve also shown a willingness to be unselfish and let whoever has the hot hand on a given night take the most shots.
“We’re still building chemistry,” Porzingis said. “Even though we have some glimpses of really good plays and passes, we’re still building chemistry. I’m still catching up on the little nuances and little things that JT likes to do, that JB likes to do, and just still, like, figuring each other out, you know? It might look like it’s already really good because we’re just beating these teams easily, but it’s going to get much, much better.”
There’s more from Boston:
- Porzingis had plenty of experience with tournaments while growing up in Europe, and he believes the NBA’s new in-season tourney will eventually catch on with fans and players, Himmelsbach adds. “Although I know a lot of people are a little bit skeptical, I think it’s going to be a huge success and I look forward to hopefully winning it,” Porzingis said. Tournament play began throughout the league last night, but the Celtics won’t play their first round robin game until Friday at Brooklyn.
- Grizzlies center Xavier Tillman could be a name to watch if the Celtics decide to use the $6.2MM traded player exception they generated in the Grant Williams deal, Brian Robb of MassLive suggests in a mailbag column. Tillman has a $1.93MM expiring contract and Memphis may decide to move him if the team can’t overcome its 0-6 start. Robb mentions Thunder forward Kenrich Williams, Pacers center Jalen Smith and Raptors center Precious Achiuwa as other possibilities who would fit into that TPE.
- Neemias Queta will miss his third straight game tonight due to injury management for his right foot, per Souichi Terada of MassLive, but coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters it’s mostly a precautionary measure. Terada points out that Boston’s schedule has been light so far, and there will be a greater need for the two-way center once games start to stack up.
Bulls guard Zach LaVine refuted the idea that the team hosted a players-only meeting following last week’s season opener, as detailed by Yahoo Sports’ Vincent Goodwill. LaVine said the players didn’t have a team meeting, as suggested by head coach Billy Donovan, but instead had “a basketball conversation.”
“We’re having conversations from top to bottom,” LaVine said. “If we don’t want the coaches in there while we are talking, that’s not a team meeting, it’s players talking amongst ourselves. I don’t know if coach got that misunderstood or not.”
Goodwill writes the Bulls are at an inflection point. Notably, LaVine has been in trade rumors, Nikola Vucevic had a tense exchange with Donovan in the opener, and the team hasn’t been able to come to terms on an extension with DeMar DeRozan. On top of that, as Goodwill observes, Donovan has multiple years left following the extension he signed before last season and owner Jerry Reinsdorf hasn’t historically given up on long-term coaching contracts.
“You know, we’re on our third year now, and I’ve been saying since training camp: It’s time to put pen to paper,” LaVine said. “If it don’t work, we understand the business of basketball. We have three All-Star players. We gotta make this work, from top to bottom. It’s not just the players. We gotta make this click.”
We have more from the Central Division:
- Donovan made a big change to the Bulls‘ starting lineup on Friday, substituting former No. 4 overall pick Patrick Williams out for Torrey Craig, who signed in the offseason. Williams is off to a disappointing start to the season, averaging 5.0 points and 3.5 rebounds while shooting a poor 33.3% from the floor in his first six games (five starts). According to NBC Sports Chicago’s Ryan Taylor, Williams took a mature approach to the move to the bench. “I was just going through a stretch there where I really couldn’t make a shot,” Williams said. “I wouldn’t say it’s difficult though [playing with the first group]. That’s a unit that has so much talent and can do so many different things on the court. It’s just more opportunity for whoever is playing in that second unit.“
- Following last season’s trade that sent Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics from the Pacers, there was a sentiment on social media that Boston didn’t give anything of value in the swap, according to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss. Flash forward to now and Indiana forward Aaron Nesmith, who was part of the package, has become a crucial member in the Pacers’ rotation. Since arriving in Indiana, Nesmith is averaging 10.2 points per game and admitted he felt overlooked last summer. Now, he’s won over the coaching staff. “He’s been one of our best defensive players and obviously, we all know he can shoot the ball really well and he’s developed other parts of his game,” said head coach Rick Carlisle. “He drives it now, he’s making really good, simple reads and a very important part of what we’re doing here.“
- On Wednesday, the NBA’s then-league worst offense in the Raptors dropped 130 points on the contending Bucks. According to Eric Nehm of The Athletic, head coach Adrian Griffin spent the first few games of the season experimenting with defensive anchor Brook Lopez, putting him out on the perimeter more to help generate turnovers, though the Bucks wound up with the league’s second-worst defensive rating through their first four games. However, as detailed by Nehm in a separate piece, Griffin put Lopez back in drop coverage for Friday’s game against the Knicks, and New York mustered just 105 points against Milwaukee.