Boston Celtics miss out on bringing back ex-big again, reportedly heading to Clippers

First reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania and ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, former Boston Celtics center of five seasons has found a new home.

Upon a contract buyout agreement with the Indiana Pacers, who have played him in just one game this season, Daniel Theis plans to head to the Los Angeles Clippers. Tyronn Lue and the West Coast outfit are incredibly slim in the frontcourt. The franchise lost Mason Plumlee to a sprained MCL for several months after Julius Randle fell on Plumlee's leg in the third quarter on November 6.

The four-time German All-Star was given his first chance in the NBA by Boston. Prior, he had played on the Washington Wizards on its Summer League team in 2014, but could not make the full roster. During his time in green and white, the center started in over 110 games, averaging over seven points per game to go along with nearly five rebounds. No. 27 in green was a vital part of Boston's run to the Eastern Conference Finals in the NBA Bubble. He was one of four players on Steven's team that started in all 17 of those postseason games.

Just a day after missing a potential game winner on the road in Milwaukee, Stevens dealt the big man to Chicago. Less than a year later, he returned to the team in a trade with the Houston Rockets that included current Raptor Dennis Schröder. After starting in five playoff games in 2022 for Boston while Robert Williams III recovered from injury, the Celts sent him packing again. The Clippers will be his fifth NBA team since March 2021.

With the departure of Williams III, there was people clamoring for the return of the German big man once again. Stevens has stood pat on Luke Kornet being a viable option for Mazzulla coming off the bench if needed. The 31-year-old would no doubt have helped on the glass, but it is difficult to envision him getting any consistent playing time.

Former Celtics fan favorite Daniel Theis hopes a trip to L.A. can revive his career

The fit in L.A. makes a whole lot of sense for both sides. Not only is he going to get time behind Ivica Zubac, there is a chance Los Angeles could find itself pushing for a top seed in the Western Conference. For the past couple of games, Lue has played small, inserted P.J. Tucker in as the five at times. With Theis, there is no need to do that as frequently. He has proven he can serve as a reliable back-up, and even someone that can step into a starting role if needed.

Of course, it would have been fun to see Theis in green again. Who knows, that could happen sometime soon. For now, though, his professional journey takes him to the other side of the country.

Similar to many of the outgoings this past offseason, Theis will always be a player this fanbase roots for. The German shows up each day, despite the obvious hate referees have toward him. He does everything he can to help his team win through hustle, rebounding, and intelligence. That's what Los Angeles should expect.