The Clippers have been hit recently, as their interior player Plumlee will miss two months with a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee.
To fill his place, the Clippers decided to bring in Pacers center Theis as an interior rotation. While Theis was outstanding in the German men's basketball team and helped them win the Basketball World Cup, in the NBA, his performance was mediocre.
Theis has expressed his dissatisfaction with his current form, and he wants to be able to compete and play to his abilities. However, the Pacers' interior configuration is already very saturated, and Theis has a hard time getting a chance to play.
Past injury issues have also caused him to gradually lose playing time and the team's expectations for him have decreased. However, the Pacers are open to trading Theis, which gives the Clippers a chance to negotiate.
The Clippers chose Theis for several reasons. First of all, Theis and the Pacers no longer share a common philosophy, and there is a high probability that the two sides will no longer work together, so trade talks should go smoothly.
Second, Theis showed a tough style of play and reliable shooting ability during his time with the Boston Celtics, which is exactly what the Clippers are currently lacking on the inside. Although Theis isn't the best at rim protection, he averaged 1. per game with the CelticsThe data of 3 caps is still quite good.
In addition to Theis, the Clippers are considering a number of other center options, such as Noel. Noel signed a contract with the Sacramento Kings this summer, but was abruptly cut in early September.
He's been averaging okay points and rebounds per game this past season, but he doesn't have Theis' shooting ability. In short, the Clippers decided to bring in Theis as an interior rotation, and they hope to bring substantial help to the team through his shooting ability and style of play.