Los Angeles instead of Indiana: Basketball world champion Daniel Theis is apparently about to make a change within the NBA.
As US media unanimously reported on Wednesday (11/15/23), the center will terminate his contract with the Pacers and then sign with the Clippers. Theis was sent to Indiana by the Boston Celtics last summer as part of a player swap, and he was also unable to gain a foothold there due to knee surgery in November 2022. After his return in February of this year, he only played seven games in the past NBA season.
Only eight minutes of game time in Indiana
The picture didn’t change in the current season either; Theis was only used against the Milwaukee Bucks (126:124), where he was on the field for eight minutes. The 31-year-old was absent from Tuesday’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers (132:126) “for personal reasons”, even though he traveled with the team to the away game.
Theis could replace center Mason Plumlee
A possible change makes sense not only for the German national player, but also for the two clubs: While Indiana is increasingly relying on young players as part of its “rebuild”, the Clippers are looking for a replacement for their injured backup center Mason Plumlee.
However, if Theis were to play for the Clippers in the future, he would have to accept a significantly lower salary: The center is earning $9.1 million (around €8.4 million) for the Pacers in the current season, and there is also a club option for another year , which would net him an additional $9.5 million. However, Theis could only sign in Los Angeles for the minimum salary – which is still a good two million US dollars.