When the Indiana Pacers traded Malcolm Brogdon from the Boston Celtics during the offseason, they acquired center Daniel Theis as part of the deal. The five-year veteran is a big man with plenty of playing experience.
Theis played for Boston last season and appeared in two games in the NBA Finals. He then spent some time between the 2021–22 season and the 2022–23 season playing for the German men’s basketball team in various tournaments, including a bronze medal finish at EuroBasket 2022. Summers, Theis didn’t have much of an off season.
When he arrived in Indiana for training camp, he participated in a few practices, but was dealing with soreness in his right knee. Packers head coach Rick Carlyle said the team initially sat out Theis to rest his knee for what he thought was an overuse problem.
That rest didn’t make the pain go away, so Theiss and the Packers agreed that surgery was the best option. The big man underwent knee surgery in early November to “relieve persistent pain” and has been on the mend ever since.
Theis is expected to be back on the court in late December as part of a rehabilitation process. “Rehab is going well,” he told reporters in Boston at the time.
Now, just over a month later, the German big man is closer to being ready for the Pacers. According to Scott Agnes Field house filesTheis’ target date for a possible return to the blue and gold is later this week.
“I was told his target date for his return to action is next Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers,” Agnes wrote. The Pacers host the Lakers on February 2nd.
On January 23, Carlisle discussed Theis’s recovery. “They’re both doing great,” Carlisle said of Teece and Kendall Brown. He added, “Daniel is doing better. He will be available soon.”
It’s unclear exactly what Theis’ role will be when he returns. The Pacers already have a ton of big men in the mix for minutes each night, so the German center may have a hard time getting playing time. Having more depth is preferable to less, so being an option soon will benefit Carlisle’s team.
The Pacers have three days off between games before their next game against the Lakers on Thursday.
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