2023 NBA Champion Center Re-Signs with the Heat
2023 NBA Champion center Thomas Bryant looked to make another Finals appearance this past season with the team he went against in the 2023 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat looked to shock the basketball world once again and go on another deep playoff run. However, numerous injuries and bad play against the eventual champion Boston Celtics saw this Miami team get eliminated in a sweep during the first round of the playoffs. Bryant became a free agent after the conclusion of the regular season, and it was reported he re-signed on a one-year deal with the Heat.
Bryant was drafted as the 42nd overall pick during the 2017 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He was eventually traded to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Josh Hart. Just eight days after the draft, the Lakers waived the future 2023 NBA Champion. The Washington Wizards signed Bryant off of waivers and played the next four seasons with the Wizards. During the 2022 offseason, the 26-year-old center signed a deal that returned him back to the Lakers. Only a few months later, he would be traded to the Denver Nuggets. Although he may have been upset at the time, he signed a deal with Los Angeles, and only a short time later they traded him, Bryant went on to become an NBA Champion as the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in five games during the 2023 NBA Finals. After the 2023 regular season was over, Bryant signed with the Miami Heat.
This past season, Bryant played in 38 games and started in four for the Heat. In 12 minutes off the bench, he averaged about six points, four rebounds, and an assist. On March 29th, the 2023 NBA Champion center dropped 26 points to go along with 12 rebounds, an assist, two steals, and two blocks during a dominating 142-82 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers. Can Bryant become a more reliable bench option this next season with the Heat?
