Reinforcements finally appear to be on the way for the Pacers.
The Pacers will reportedly send the Heat a future second-round pick swap in exchange for the big man.
Bryant, 27, has played in 10 games for Miami this season. The 6-foot-10 centre has averaged 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in that span.
The former 2017 42nd overall pick opted to re-sign with Miami ahead of the 2024-25 campaign, returning to South Florida on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. His move to the Pacers can’t take place until at least Sunday, when Bryant officially becomes trade-eligible.
With Bam Adebayo anchoring the frontcourt and the Heat’s preference for playing smaller and faster, Bryant’s fit wasn’t seamless. Add the fact that Miami has a promising young big in rookie Kel’el Ware who could sop up those minutes and it makes sense why the team would be willing to move on from Bryant.
For the Pacers, the move might have been made more out of necessity than preference. Indiana has already lost two backup centres for the year as both James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson tore their achilles. The Pacers brought in Moses Brown for a short stint but have since waived him, subsequently freeing up a spot for a more seasoned option in Bryant.
Indiana appears far removed from the team that made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year, sitting at 10-15 and ninth in the East. Last season’s No. 1-ranked offence has plummeted to 15th.
They’ll look to get back on track as soon as Friday night as they visit the Philadelphia 76ers. Meanwhile, the Heat return to action on Monday when they take on the Pistons in Detroit.