INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers will acquire center Thomas Bryant in a trade with the Miami Heat, according to multiple reports. Shams Charania by ESPN was the first to announce news of the upcoming transaction.

Bryant, 27, has a minimum salary contract that he signed in the 2024 offseason, meaning he can be traded without a salary refund. The Pacers and Heat will swap 2031 second-round draft picks to complete the trade — and Indiana has a vacant roster spot after moving on from big man Moses Brown earlier this week.

Since Bryant signed a new contract in the offseason, he cannot be moved until December 15th, so this deal will not be finalized until Sunday at the earliest. The Pacers play a game tonight, then again at home on Sunday before a three-day break with no games.

Why the Pacers are trading for Thomas Bryant

It’s no secret that the Pacers needed depth at center, especially after moving on from Brown. Likely season-ending injuries to James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson have forced the blue and gold to play small at times, and starting center Myles Turner is currently averaging a career-high in minutes per game. Indiana is doing everything they can to put together a frontcourt rotation despite injuries.

“There are business implications and timing implications,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of his team waiving Brown earlier this week. “There are a lot of things to consider,” he added. The timing impact is related to both Bryant’s trade date restriction and Brown’s daily cap limit. The timing of these moves gives Indiana the most flexibility to continue to expand its team while adding a much-needed backup center.

“December 15th is almost here and I think it’s no secret that there will be a lot of activity as the league begins,” Carlisle explained.

Indiana tried many options at backup center, including Brown. By far their most common choice was a frontcourt combination of Obi Toppin and Pascal Siakam – Enrique Freeman and Jarace Walker were also factors. They’ve all committed to the Blue and Gold Championship in smaller groups as they try to survive without many bigger options behind Turner.

However, this has led to difficulties, particularly on defense and on the glass. Bryant, who has his own limitations, has size and some range that should allow him to soak up some minutes for Indiana without resulting in as many sacrifices.

Bryant attended Indiana University, just about an hour south of where the Pacers play. His former Heat teammate Kel’el Ware also went to IU, and the two talked about the Hoosiers football team’s success this season. “This guy really works behind the scenes,” Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra recently said of Bryant.

The future Pacer is in his eighth NBA season. In addition to the Heat, he played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards and Denver Nuggets. He won a title with Denver in 2023 and reached the playoffs with the Heat last season. Over the course of his career, the New York native averaged 9.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

This season, Bryant is averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per night. His numbers and minutes have dropped, making it easier for the Heat to let him go. Miami has also exceeded the luxury tax, so they’re getting significant financial savings from this deal – making it easier for them to give away a player for little in return.

The big man stands nearly six feet tall and has made 35.5% of his three-point shots throughout his career. That inside-out ability will be important for a Pacers team looking for spacing and weapons, although Bryant’s defense will be a primary focus for the blue and gold.

This move brings Indiana’s luxury tax to less than $127,000, barely enough flexibility to do anything significant. They could potentially sign someone very late in the season on a 10-day contract or a minimum contract, but that’s about it. They’ll have to make other moves if they want more cap space, but they still found enough room to get Bryant.

With much of their flexibility gone as Bryant’s deal is fully guaranteed, the Pacers need to get this deal done. With a game on Sunday – the day the deal can officially take place – followed by a few days off, Indiana can get its new big man up to speed before an important road trip in late December. The Pacers roster is now full.