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Thomas Bryant (basketball)

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Thomas Bryant
Bryant with the Washington Wizards in 2022
No. 3 – Indiana Pacers
PositionCenter
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (1997-07-31) July 31, 1997 (age 27)
Rochester, New York, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight248 lb (112 kg)
Career information
High school
CollegeIndiana (2015–2017)
NBA draft2017: 2nd round, 42nd overall pick
Selected by the Utah Jazz
Playing career2017–present
Career history
2017–2018Los Angeles Lakers
2017–2018→South Bay Lakers
2018–2022Washington Wizards
2022–2023Los Angeles Lakers
2023Denver Nuggets
2023–2024Miami Heat
2024–presentIndiana Pacers
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Medals
Representing  United States
FIBA Americas U16 Championship
Gold medal – first place 2013 Uruguay National team

Thomas Jermaine Bryant (born July 31, 1997) is an American professional basketball player for the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Indiana Hoosiers from 2015 to 2017.[1] Bryant was a member of the Denver Nuggets team that won the 2023 NBA Finals.

High school career

Bryant played basketball at Bishop Kearney, where as a sophomore he led his team to a 17–8 record, the 2013 New York Class AA Tournament crown, and the New York Federation Tournament of Champions.[2]

After his sophomore year, Bryant transferred to Huntington Prep School in Huntington, West Virginia during the 2014 school year. As a junior, he averaged 13.9 points, 12.9 rebounds and 2.8 blocks per game.[3] While there, he played on the AAU team, Team SCAN on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Circuit.[4] On January 3, 2015, Bryant scored 23 points and 12 rebounds in a 89–49 win over Whitney Young.[5] As a senior, Bryant averaged 17.3 points, 11.6 rebounds, 4.5 blocks and 2.5 steals per game. He was ranked the 20th best recruit in the 2015 class by ESPN and was recruited heavily by many schools, including Indiana, Kentucky, Syracuse, UCLA, and other power conference schools.[6] However, his final decision came down to Indiana and Syracuse. According to Bryant's mother, who was heavily in favor of Syracuse, " [he] picked Indiana because Syracuse's basketball program was in chaos." While Bryant was trying to decide which school to attend, Syracuse was in the middle of an NCAA investigation, which eventually led to the loss of 12 scholarships over the next four years, 108 vacated wins, and Jim Boeheim being suspended for the first 9 games of the 2015–2016 ACC season.[7]

Bryant's final verbal commitment to Indiana was televised live on April 4, 2015, during the Dick's Sporting Goods National Tournament on ESPN.[8]

During the McDonald's All-American Game, Bryant scored 9 points and grabbed 3 rebounds in 16 minutes of play for the East team.[9] He was the fifth consecutive McDonald's All-American Tom Crean was able to recruit to play at IU.

College career

Bryant in 2017

Bryant had a break out performance in an 86–65 win against Creighton. He recorded 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks in the Hoosiers win. Bryant contributed 19 points and five rebounds in a win over Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament. Bryant averaged 11.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game as a freshman. After the season, Bryant was named both Big Ten All-Freshman team as well as Third-team All-Big Ten.[10]

Bryant announced his return for his sophomore year. His shooting percentage declined as a sophomore, but Bryant averaged 12.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game.[11] Bryant was projected as a possible top 5 pick in the 2017 NBA draft heading into the season along with teammate OG Anunoby.

Professional career

Los Angeles / South Bay Lakers (2017–2018)

On June 22, 2017, Bryant was drafted 42nd overall in the 2017 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz. He was later traded along with the 30th pick, Josh Hart to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for the Lakers 28th pick, Tony Bradley.[12] On July 30, 2017, Bryant signed his rookie scale contract with the Lakers.[13] On June 30, 2018, the Lakers waived Bryant.[14]

The Lakers frequently assigned Bryant to their G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, during the season. Following the 2017–18 season, he was named to the All-NBA G League First Team.[15]

Washington Wizards (2018–2022)

On July 2, 2018, Bryant was claimed off waivers by the Washington Wizards.[16]

On December 22, 2018, Bryant shot 14–14 and scored a career-high 31 points against the Phoenix Suns,[17] tying for the fourth most field goals made without a miss in NBA history, with only Wilt Chamberlain exceeding the 14 field goal mark.[18]

On July 7, 2019, Bryant re-signed with the Wizards on a 3-year, $25 million contract.[19][20] On February 19, 2020, Bleacher Report named Bryant the worst defensive center in the NBA.[21] On July 9, 2020, he tested positive for COVID-19.[22] On August 2, Bryant recorded season-highs of 30 points and 13 rebounds in a 110–118 loss to the Brooklyn Nets.[23]

Bryant with the Wizards in 2019

On January 10, 2021, the Wizards announced that Bryant had suffered a partially torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a 124–128 loss to Miami Heat a day before.[24] The injury ended his season, with Bryant only having played ten games.[25]

On January 12, 2022, Bryant made his return for the Wizards, scoring six points in a 112–106 win over the Orlando Magic.[26]

Return to the Lakers (2022–2023)

On July 6, 2022, Bryant signed with the Los Angeles Lakers.[27] On December 18, he made a game-winning dunk in a 119–117 win over his former team, the Washington Wizards.[28] On January 22, 2023, Bryant tied his career high of 31 points, alongside 14 rebounds, in a 121–112 win over the Portland Trail Blazers.[29]

Denver Nuggets (2023)

On February 9, 2023, Bryant was traded to the Denver Nuggets in a four-team trade involving the Los Angeles Clippers and Orlando Magic.[30][31] The Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in five games to give Bryant his first NBA championship.[32]

Miami Heat (2023–2024)

On July 2, 2023, Bryant signed a reported 2-year, $5.4 million contract with the Miami Heat[33][34] and on July 3, 2024, he re-signed with the Heat.[35]

Indiana Pacers (2024–present)

On December 15, 2024, Bryant was traded to the Indiana Pacers in exchange for the right to swap second-round picks in the 2031 NBA draft.[36]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high
 †  Won an NBA championship

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2017–18 L.A. Lakers 15 0 4.8 .381 .100 .556 1.1 .4 .1 .1 1.5
2018–19 Washington 72 53 20.8 .616 .333 .781 6.3 1.3 .3 .9 10.5
2019–20 Washington 46 36 24.9 .581 .407 .741 7.2 1.8 .5 1.1 13.2
2020–21 Washington 10 10 27.1 .648 .429 .667 6.1 1.5 .4 .8 14.3
2021–22 Washington 27 9 16.3 .520 .286 .875 4.0 .9 .2 .8 7.4
2022–23 L.A. Lakers 41 25 21.4 .654 .440 .741 6.8 .7 .3 .6 12.1
Denver† 18 1 11.4 .485 .444 .722 3.3 .1 .1 .4 4.6
2023–24 Miami 38 4 11.6 .577 .182 .872 3.7 .6 .3 .4 5.7
2024–25 Miami 10 0 11.5 .429 .353 1.000 3.2 .4 .1 .9 4.1
Career 277 138 18.3 .593 .355 .773 5.4 1.0 .3 .7 9.3

Play-in

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2024 Miami 1 0 4.0 .500 — 1.000 3.0 .0 .0 .0 4.0
Career 1 0 4.0 .500 — 1.000 3.0 .0 .0 .0 4.0

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2023† Denver 1 0 .5 — — — .0 .0 .0 .0 .0
2024 Miami 2 0 8.9 .714 .000 .667 2.5 .5 .0 .0 6.0
Career 3 0 9.1 .714 .000 .667 1.7 .3 .0 .0 4.0

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2015–16 Indiana 35 35 22.6 .683 .333 .706 5.8 1.0 .5 .9 11.9
2016–17 Indiana 34 34 28.1 .519 .383 .730 6.6 1.5 .8 1.5 12.6
Career 69 69 25.3 .592 .373 .718 6.2 1.2 .6 1.2 12.2

References

  1. ^ Osterman, Zach (April 17, 2015). "New IU big man Bryant: 'He can do just about everything'". IndyStar. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  2. ^ "Bishop Kearney boys win state basketball title". USATodayHSS.com. USA Today High School Sports. March 17, 2013. Retrieved March 17, 2013.
  3. ^ "Thomas Bryant Junior year Stats". MaxPreps.com. January 7, 2014. Retrieved January 7, 2014.
  4. ^ Novak, Thad (July 17, 2014). "NCAA Basketball Recruiting: What Each 5-star Must Prove at 2014 Nike Peach Jam". Bleacher Report. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  5. ^ Traylor, Grant (January 4, 2015). "HPrep flies past Whitney Young". Herald-Dispatch.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  6. ^ "Thomas Bryant". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  7. ^ Waters, Mike (April 18, 2015). "Thomas Bryant talks about picking Indiana over Syracuse: 'I'm the person going to college'". Syracuse.com. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  8. ^ Borzello, Jeff (April 4, 2015). "Indiana adds 22nd ranked Thomas Bryant to recruiting class". ESPN.com. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  9. ^ "Thomas Bryant scores 9 in McDonald's All-American Game". Democrat and Chronicle. April 2, 2015. Retrieved October 27, 2015.
  10. ^ "Big Ten unveils Men's Basketball Postseason honors on BTN". BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. March 7, 2016. Archived from the original on March 8, 2016. Retrieved May 25, 2020.
  11. ^ DiSturco, Charlie (July 2, 2018). "5 things to know about Thomas Bryant, the Wizards' newest addition". NBC Sports. Retrieved September 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "Lakers Acquire Josh Hart, Thomas Bryant in Trade with Utah". NBA.com. June 22, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2017.
  13. ^ "Lakers Sign Thomas Bryant". NBA.com. July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  14. ^ "Lakers Waive Thomas Bryant". NBA.com. June 30, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
  15. ^ "MVP Lorenzo Brown Headlines 2017–18 All-NBA G League First Team". NBA.com. April 16, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  16. ^ "Wizards Claim Thomas Bryant off Waivers". NBA.com. July 2, 2018. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  17. ^ Eppers, Matt (December 22, 2018). "Wizards' Thomas Bryant perfect from field in historic game vs. Suns". USAToday.com. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  18. ^ "Player Game Finder". Basketball-Reference.com. Archived from the original on August 21, 2019. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  19. ^ waszrosen (July 7, 2022). "Wizards re-sign Thomas Bryant". NBA.com. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  20. ^ Zucker, Joseph (June 30, 2022). "Thomas Bryant Reportedly to Re-Sign with Wizards on 3-Year, $25M Contract". Bleacher Report. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  21. ^ Buckley, Zach (February 19, 2020). "Exposing the NBA's Worst Defender at Every Position". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  22. ^ "Wizards' Thomas Bryant: Tests positive for coronavirus". CBS Sports. July 9, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  23. ^ "CARIS LEVERT'S 34 LEAD NETS PAST WIZARDS, 118-110". NBA.com. August 2, 2020. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  24. ^ waszrosen (January 10, 2021). "Thomas Bryant Injury Update". NBA.com. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  25. ^ Shapiro, Michael (January 10, 2021). "Thomas Bryant Suffers Torn ACL, Out for Remainder of 2020–21". SI.com. Retrieved January 27, 2023.
  26. ^ Trister, Noah (January 12, 2022). "WIZARDS HAND NBA-WORST MAGIC 10TH STRAIGHT LOSS, 112-106". NBA.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  27. ^ "Lakers Sign Thomas Bryant". NBA.com. July 6, 2022. Retrieved July 7, 2022.
  28. ^ Starkand, Daniel (December 18, 2022). "Recap: LeBron James Finds Thomas Bryant For Game-Winner To Lead Lakers Past Wizards". LakersNation.com. Retrieved December 18, 2022.
  29. ^ Peterson, Anne M. (January 23, 2023). "JAMES SCORES 37, LAKERS RALLY PAST TRAIL BLAZERS 121-112". NBA.com. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  30. ^ "DENVER NUGGETS ACQUIRE CENTER THOMAS BRYANT". NBA.com. February 9, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  31. ^ "Magic Acquire Patrick Beverley, Future Second Round Draft Pick and Cash Considerations as Part of a Four-Team Trade". NBA.com. February 9, 2023. Retrieved December 14, 2024. Denver acquires Thomas Bryant from the L.A. Lakers
  32. ^ Guinhawa, Angelo (June 12, 2023). "Nuggets' Thomas Bryant clowned by Lakers Twitter over unexpected DeAndre Jordan NBA Finals minutes". ClutchPoints. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
  33. ^ "HEAT SIGN THOMAS BRYANT". NBA.com. July 2, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  34. ^ "Heat, center Bryant agree to 2-year, $5.4M deal". ESPN.com. July 1, 2023. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
  35. ^ "HEAT RE-SIGN THOMAS BRYANT". NBA.com. July 3, 2024. Retrieved July 3, 2024.
  36. ^ "Indiana Pacers Acquire Thomas Bryant". NBA.com. December 15, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
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