After the Indiana Pacers traded for Jay Huff and re-signed James Wiseman, it is fair to assume they are not going to bring Thomas Bryant back in free agency.
Following the shocking departure of Myles Turner, who signed with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Pacers must address their center needs. In addition to Huff and Wiseman, the Pacers exercised their team option on Tony Bradley and extended a qualifying offer to Isaiah Jackson, making him a restricted free agent. As it stands, it seems unlikely the Pacers will also bring Bryant back to the mix, especially since Huff is another big man who can stretch the floor.
Nothing is guaranteed, and the offseason is still young, but all signs point to Bryant having already played his last game for the Pacers.
Thomas Bryant is the odd man out in Indiana
With Turner gone, it is fair to assume the Pacers will attempt to replace him with multiple big men who can provide their own value in specific areas. Huff can stretch the floor and provide some decent defensive value, Wiseman possesses great size and looked good in a limited time with the Pacers last year, Bradley is a solid rebounder, and Jackson brings a lot of energy and is familiar with the system. Bryant does not do much else to stand out from the rest of the squad, and with his Pacers future already uncertain, there just might not be enough reasons to bring him back.
Since trading for him last December, the former NBA Champion played his role well with the Pacers and showed flashes at different times. Furthermore, it is going to be tough to forget about his stellar performance in Indiana's closeout game against the New York Knicks in the conference finals. Even so, Bryant fell out of the rotation in the playoffs for a reason, and he is not a long-term fit in Indiana.
One of the biggest Pacers stories to follow next season is how the team will attempt to replace Turner, who provided a ton of value to the team and was a big reason for their recent success. It was always going to be the case, but it is proving to be incredibly difficult for the Pacers to replace their long-time big man and find someone who can make the same impact he can. There are few big men in the league who can stretch the floor and protect the rim as well as Turner can, and the Pacers are going to have a tough time finding a legitimate replacement for him. However, they have options, even if they are not ideal.
The Pacers are more than likely going to depend on multiple big man options next year as they look to see who will stick out and prove their value to the team. Next season is likely going to be a gap year for Indiana, and they will have a unique opportunity to experiment a bit. However, no matter what next season is going to look like, as it stands, it seems that Bryant will no longer be in the picture as there is simply not enough room for the Indiana alum.