German World Cup hero languishes on the substitutes' bench
Daniel Theis played a key role in the German basketball team's sensational World Cup gold medal. Back in the NBA, however, the 31-year-old is only allowed to do one thing: watch. The Indiana Pacers are relying on younger players. Dennis Schröder has an idea of how Theis could get back on the court.
Once again, Daniel Theis waited in vain. Not even in the final phase, when his Indiana Pacers had long since won, was the basketball world champion allowed to collect his first NBA minutes of the new season. Despite his strong World Cup performance, the center has so far remained on the bench without any action. This has fueled speculation about a transfer.
"After a great summer, I'm obviously not happy with the situation I'm in right now," Theis recently told the US online portal MassLive: "I want to play and take all the good things from the summer into the season, but the season is long. We'll see how it goes and what happens."
Head coach Rick Carlisle also left Theis out for the full 48 minutes in the 134-118 win over the Utah Jazz - for the eighth time in the eighth game of the season. The coach understands Theis' displeasure. "I don't blame him, he shouldn't be happy about it," said Carlisle: "I don't want to have players on the team who are happy not to play."
Transfer to Toronto? Or back to the Celtics?
But why is a player of Theis' caliber, which he impressively demonstrated during the World Cup triumph in Manila, so out of the picture in the NBA? After all, national coach Gordon Herbert called him the "best player nobody talks about" in Asia after Theis had impressed in his teamwork with his childhood friend Dennis Schröder - and was the great defensive anchor of the world champion team.
Theis' commitment in Indianapolis has not been under a good star since his move there in the summer of last year. After a long knee injury, the 31-year-old only made his debut for the Pacers in February, but then only played seven games before Carlisle opted for younger players. This continued when Theis lost the race for the backup position behind regular center Myles Turner to the younger Jalen Smith.
What happens next in this tricky case is completely open. Theis is in the third year of a well-paid four-year contract that will earn him 9.1 million US dollars this season. Meanwhile, the Pacers have an option to extend his contract by one year next year, which is unlikely given the current situation and Theis' salary of 9.5 million dollars. Theis would then be a free agent.
However, an earlier move to a team that guarantees him playing time would probably be better for his athletic career - before the trade deadline at the beginning of February. Schröder recently brought his buddy into conversation with the Toronto Raptors in an interview with the "Braunschweiger Zeitung" and spoke of Theis as a potential "huge win". The Boston Celtics, where Theis has already played twice and with whom he reached the NBA Finals in 2022, have also been mentioned. The only thing that is certain at the moment is that "carrying on like this" would hardly help Daniel Theis.
Despite his impressive World Cup performance and being labeled as the "best player nobody talks about" by German national coach Gordon Herbert, Daniel Theis has struggled to find playing time in the NBA. He's currently only watching games from the bench as a member of the Indiana Pacers, leading to speculation about a possible transfer.
In an attempt to secure more playing time, Theis has been linked to potential moves to teams like the Toronto Raptors or his former team, the Boston Celtics. These teams are seen as better options for Theis, as they could provide him with the opportunity to showcase his skills on the court.
Source: www.ntv.de
