Tristan Thompson played in his fourth and what will be his final game for the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night, as the big man is expected to be waived on Thursday. We know this because Rick Carlisle willingly shared the information. The Pacers coach was even kind enough to tell reporters where Thompson’s next stop will be.
Thompson has been considered a likely buyout candidate since he landed with the Pacers ahead of the trade deadline. After Thompson scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds in a 113-108 win over the Washington Wizards, Carlisle was shockingly candid about the veteran’s future.
Carlisle praised Thompson for his professionalism and said it was fun having him on the team “while it lasted.” He then broke the news that Thompson will sign with the Chicago Bulls.
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It’s extremely unusual for a coach to offer up that information before the transaction becomes official. Carlisle was later asked why he made the announcement. He said there’s “nothing wrong with speaking the truth.”
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Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was asked about Thompson following his team’s win over the Sacramento Kings. He said he wasn’t aware of Carlisle’s comments and joked that he had no Pacers news to break.
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The Bulls will need to waive a player to clear a roster spot for Thompson. They may not have informed that player of his fate at the time Carlisle broke the Thompson news, which is why coaches usually don’t get into that type of stuff. Carlisle clearly didn’t care.
Photo: Feb 7, 2020; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle during the first half against the Washington Wizards at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
