Former Pacers Big Man Breaks Silence About Going Overseas

The former Indiana Pacers player has broken his silence on going overseas as opposed to staying in the NBA.

Feb 13, 2023; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis (27) shoots the ball while Utah Jazz forward Kelly Olynyk (41) defends in the second half at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

The trade deadline was extremely active this year for the first time in a couple of years. There were plenty of impactful trades made, including a league-altering move that saw Anthony Davis head to the Mavericks and Luka Doncic go to the Lakers.

For the Indiana Pacers, things were much quieter. They only made one move, shipping James Wiseman to the Raptors in order to open up a roster spot.

They promptly filled that roster spot by signing Jahlil Okafor to give them some more depth at the center position. While he won't play much, that's more action than Wiseman was going to see.

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One former Pacer did end up getting moved at the deadline. Daniel Theis was traded from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Theis was promptly waived when he got to OKC and was free to sign with any team he wanted. Instead of finding another NBA team, Theis decided to head overseas.

He decided to sign with AS Monaco of the EuroLeague in a deal that will go through next year. It was an interesting decision for him to make.

When asked why he decided to head overseas, the former Pacers center mentioned how competitive Monaco is.

“Monaco has built something big in recent years by reaching the Final Four and currently ranking among the top four in the EuroLeague standings,” Theis said. “I wanted to be part of this adventure, to win, to have a chance to conquer EuroLeague, to be competitive.”

It sounds like Theis is ready to get more playing time, even if it's in another league. It also looks like his NBA days might be over.

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The Pacers could have used Theis once they traded Wiseman. He would have had a better chance to play than Okafor.

Instead, Theis will be playing in the EuroLeague for each of the next two seasons. It would be surprising if he decided to try to make a move back to the NBA at some point in the future.

In the NBA, Theis averaged 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.

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