One of the New York Knicks' biggest non-conference rivals has struggled to start the season. The Pacers don't look like the team that made it to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. Indiana sits at No. 9 in the conference with a 10-15 record.
The Pacers lost James Wiseman for the season when he tore his Achilles tendon in October. Less than two weeks later, Isaiah Jackson also tore his Achilles tendon. Indiana opted to sign a center off the Westchester Knicks' roster in the wake of its frontcourt injuries.
New York signed Moses Brown to an Exhibit 10 contract before the start of the season and waived him a few days later. He played in a few games in the G League before the Pacers signed him to a one-year, non-guaranteed deal. He averaged 18.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game for Westchester.
The 25-year-old averaged 3.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game in 5.1 minutes (nine contests). Brown's best game for Indiana happened on Nov. 24 when he posted 15 points, four rebounds, and one block in a win over the Wizards.
Pacers waive former Knicks G League center Moses Brown
Brown played in his first eight games after signing with Indiana but didn't play for nearly a week before he was waived.
The Pacers were the seventh team Brown had played for. He's had eight separate NBA stints, including two in Portland, where he began his career in 2019-20. The best season of his career happened in Oklahoma City, where he averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 21.4 minutes (32 starts in 43 games) in 2020-21.
Many Indiana fans have disapproved of the team's decision to waive Brown. They hope the Pacers plan to trade for another center before the deadline with the open roster spot, which would help the team's issues but not entirely fix them. Indiana is 19th in the league in offensive rating (111.7) and 24th in defensive rating (116).
Hopefully, Brown will get another opportunity elsewhere. He showed he could be a solid backup center option during his short time with the Pacers.