Thomas Bryant is a backup center who plays for the Miami Heat in the NBA. He previously also played for the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-2023 NBA Season. Bryant and the Heat agreed to a two-year, $5.4 million contract during the offseason. Since then he has not featured much for the Miami Heat.
Although longtime basketball coach David Thorpe believes that Thomas Bryant is the best backup center that the Miami Heat have. “[The Heat] have the best backup center in the league, Thomas Bryant, who’s good enough to start. He was like the best pick-and-roll player in the NBA last year for L.A. when AD was out. Spo said after the game, ‘It’s nice to have Bam on the bench & we can still score” said coach Thorpe on the TrueHoop podcast.
“[The Heat] have the best backup center in the league, Thomas Bryant, who’s good enough to start. He was like the best pick-&-roll player in the NBA last year for L.A. when AD was out. Spo said after the game, ‘It’s nice to have Bam on the bench & we can still score’”@coachthorpe https://t.co/fPGjHqGME1 pic.twitter.com/dDlnQ9eFDt
— Dru (@dru_star) October 13, 2023
The 2022–23 season saw the 26-year-old athlete play his most significant basketball while a part of the iconic Lakers squad. Bryant participated in 41 regular-season games with Los Angeles in 2022–23, averaging 12.1 points and 6.8 rebounds while shooting 65.4 percent from the field.
Why did Thomas Bryant leave the Lakers?
Thomas Bryant, a center with the Los Angeles Lakers, reportedly asked for a trade to get out of town, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. When starter center Anthony Davis was injured for 5.5 weeks, Bryant had been playing excellently. In fact, he performed so excellently that, according to Shelburne, it was no longer certain that he would accept LA’s intermediate provision in a deal this summer because he had exceeded the terms of his veteran’s minimum contract.
Bryant had grown unhappy with his diminished PT since AD returned and asked LAL to look for a better situation. He’d also outplayed his contract & LA only has mid-level to re-sign him— so they opted to give his minutes to Wenyen Gabriel & replenish the picks they gave up for Rui. https://t.co/OLaVrB9AkN
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) February 9, 2023
LeBron James praised Thomas Bryant’s performance after he scored 29 points and 14 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 136-134 win over the Sacramento Kings back in January of this year.
“Thomas (Bryant) is definitely taking full advantage of this opportunity. And he’s a guy who plays extremely hard, knows how to play, and is probably one of the most skilled bigs in this game. He catches everything. He finishes everything around the rim.” James told reporters after the game.
He further added, “However, he also has a soft, soft touch from the mid-range and from the three-point line. And he’s just has a motor and he’s just a huge motor that there’s just always going on both sides of the floor. I’ve always worked well with guys like that. You know, I think it could be extremely beneficial for our ballclub. Thomas has definitely done his part and we’re all trying to chip in.”
Bryant was given a smaller role in the Lakers’ offense after Davis made his comeback on January 24. He rapidly developed resentment over having a role that was less flexible in terms of his touches and minutes.
Bryant was traded by the Los Angeles Lakers to the Denver Nuggets in February 2023. He produced far less with the Nuggets than for the Lakers during the 2022–23 regular season. He only averaged 4.6 points and 3.3 rebounds in 18 games with Denver while shooting 48.5 percent from the field.
Although Thomas Byrant has signed for the Miami Heat for the 2023-2024 NBA season, it remains to be seen whether or not he will get the game time that he sought in his previous clubs. He will look to make his mark and stamp his authority if the opportunity arises this season.