The New Orleans Pelicans have reached an agreement with NBA veteran Daniel Theis on a one-year contract, according to a source familiar with the deal. The agreement, which has not yet been officially announced, was disclosed to The Associated Press on Monday under the condition of anonymity.
The Pelicans’ move to acquire Theis, who is 32 years old, comes after trading away their top two centers from last season, Jonas Valanciunas and Larry Nance Jr. Valanciunas was traded to Washington, while Nance was part of a deal with Atlanta that brought point guard Dejounte Murray to New Orleans.
In last month’s NBA draft, the Pelicans selected Yves Pons, a 6-foot-11 center from Baylor, as the 21st overall pick. However, Pons is expected to start his career in a reserve role.
Standing at 6-foot-8, Theis played 59 games with three starts for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, averaging 6.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. He began the season with the Indiana Pacers but appeared in only one game before his contract was bought out.
Originally from Germany, Theis began his NBA career with the Boston Celtics in 2017. He was traded to the Chicago Bulls during the 2020-21 season and spent part of the following season with the Houston Rockets.
Throughout his career, Theis has started in 151 games, but only four over the past two seasons.
