Pacers News: Full Details of Thomas Bryant Trade Revealed

Here is what the Pacers gave up for the young champion center.

Nov 30, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) protects the basketball from Miami Heat center Thomas Bryant (31) during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The Indiana Pacers became the first team to make a trade before the 2024-25 trade deadline.

The Pacers needed to shore up their frontcourt woes, and they did so on Friday when they traded for former second-round draft pick Thomas Bryant from Indiana University.

Bryant will return to the state he called home for two seasons in college. ESPN's Shams Charania was among the first to report on the news, but the trade details have finally been revealed.

Here is what the Pacers gave up for the 27-year-old.

The Miami Heat traded away Bryant to the Pacers in exchange for the right to swap second round picks in 2031, per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. The Heat are said to have received the more favorable second-round selection.

Bryant comes to Indiana after playing for four teams in his eight seasons. Bryant has played for the Los Angeles Lakers, Washington Wizards, Denver Nuggets, and the Heat.

In his career, Bryant has averaged 9.3 points per game, 5.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.9 blocks per game while shooting 59.3 percent from the field and 77.3 percent from the charity stripe.

This season, Bryant has played limited minutes with the Heat, only averaging 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 10 games off the bench. The Pacers need a backup center desperately behind Myles Turner. Bryant should be able to come immediately and get some crucial minutes for a Pacers team trying to get back on the right side of .500.

The Paces have been one of the more inconsistent teams in the league thus far, and their defense and rebounding have not helped.

But with Bryant on his way, the Pacers should be slightly better in rebounding and defensive categories. Bryant was selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 42 overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He was eventually traded along with Josh Hart to the Lakers in exchange for the Lakers' 28th pick, Tony Bradley.

He bounced around from the NBA and G League before the Wizards claimed him off waivers. Bryant spent four seasons there until he signed with the Lakers as a free agent before the 2022-23 season. After half a season there, the Lakers traded him to the Nuggets in a four-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic.

Bryant didn't play much, but he won a ring with the Nuggets after they defeated the Heat in five games in the 2023 NBA Finals.

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