The Indiana Pacers have gotten a lot of great performances out of their players through three games of the conference finals. However, backup center Thomas Bryant has greatly struggled in the series and may have already played his last game for the Pacers.
Bryant played 13 minutes in Indiana's Game 1 victory over the New York Knicks, but he left a lot to be desired on the court. In Game 2, he only appeared in four minutes in the first quarter and did not play at all in the second half of the game. Instead, Rick Carlisle opted to give Tony Bradley some more playing time. Additionally, Bryant did not play at all in Game 3, and Bradley recorded 15 minutes.
The New York native is a free agent after this season. Indiana has plenty of decisions to make in the summer, but at this rate, deciding the fate of Bryant's Pacers future may not be one of them. He has fallen out of the rotation completely and will likely not play the rest of the way outside of garbage or emergency minutes. Furthermore, the Pacers most likely won't bring him back as a free agent.
Nothing is official yet, but as it stands, it seems very likely that Bryant has already played his last game with the Pacers.
Thomas Bryant has been a decent option for the Pacers regardless
Despite his poor performance in the playoffs, Bryant has still done a lot of things right for the Pacers. The team acquired him from the Miami Heat in December for depth after season-ending injuries to James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson. Bryant has played his role well and had plenty of solid moments. However, when it comes down to it, the Pacers can't trust him to play legitimate minutes in the playoffs, which is a problem.
Trading for Bryant was the right call for the Pacers, and he did exactly what was asked of him in the regular season. However, the team will likely move on from him in the offseason, which is also the right call. He provides solid depth, but the Pacers have some more appealing backup center options..
Ultimately, Bryant's Pacers tenure is not over yet, and as the team inches closer to their goal of winning it all, he could have another opportunity. However, that seems unlikely, especially since the Pacers need to continue bringing their A-game from here on out.
While it won't be the biggest story to follow for the Pacers this offseason, what is next for Bryant will still be worth keeping an eye on. He should be able to find a home for himself in the offseason, it just probably won't be in Indiana.