The heat have agreed to swap the veterans center Thomas Bryant for the Pacemakersources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania.

The deal will have to wait until Sunday, as Bryant will become trade-eligible then. According to Charania, Indiana will send Miami a second-round pick swap to complete the transaction.

Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald confirms the news (Twitter links) and points out that by forgoing Bryant’s salary, the Heat will soon be down to 13 players on standard contracts and more financial flexibility to potentially add a player with a two-year contract. Converting a way deal into a standard contract – this morning we identified it Dru Smith as a possible candidate for promotion.

SNY.tv’s Ian Begley hears how the Pacers discussed the draft James Wiseman to the Heat in the deal, but obviously that didn’t happen (Twitter link). Wiseman is out for the season after tearing his Achilles tendon on opening night.

The Pacers have several options to cover Bryant’s salary, including using the minimum salary exception. Since Indiana has an open standard spot on the roster, the team doesn’t have to give up anyone to add Bryant.

According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter link), the Heat will save $4.7 million on their project’s luxury tax payment by deducting Bryant’s $2,087,519 salary. They will also create an exemption for traded players whose value is exactly the same as Bryant’s outgoing contract. Miami will be about $3.7 million below the second tax bracket once the deal is completed, Marks adds.

Charania reported a few days ago that Indiana was “actively looking for a backup center” following season-ending injuries to Wiseman and other big name players. Isaiah Jacksonwho also tore his Achilles tendon this fall. Jake Fischer confirmed this report today. League sources indicated that a deal would likely be completed shortly after Dec. 15, when many players in the NBA would be eligible to be traded.

Assuming the trade is completed on Sunday, the Heat have until Dec. 29 to add a 14th player to their standard roster.

Bryant, 27, is an eight-year veteran who previously played for the Lakers, Wizards and Nuggets before joining Miami. He won a title with Denver in 2023, although his role was very limited.

After appearing in and out of Miami’s rotation throughout the 2023-24 season, Bryant’s role fluctuated again this season, averaging 4.3 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10 games (11.5 minutes per game). In the offseason, he re-signed with the Heat on a one-year minimum salary contract.