Los Angeles Clippers center Mason Plumlee suffered a left knee MCL sprain on Monday night against the New York Knicks. Upon heading back to Los Angeles to undergo further testing, Plumlee is now expected to miss multiple months with his MCL sprain, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.

The good news for Plumlee and Los Angeles is that this does not appear to be a season-ending injury and he should be able to return at some point in 2024.

The team acquired Plumlee at the trade deadline last season from the Charlotte Hornets and he has provided the Clippers with a sense of balance and stability in their frontcourt behind starting center Ivica Zubac. Just this past summer, the Clippers re-signed Plumlee to a one-year, $5 million contract.

After recently trading for James Harden, the Clippers are left thin in their frontcourt, which is why the organization is evaluating all of their option in terms of adding depth behind Zubac. One player Los Angeles is showing interest in, according to Charania, is Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis.

Now in his seventh NBA season, Theis has yet to play with the Pacers this year after recently winning a gold medal with Team Germany at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. There, the 31-year-old averaged 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 68.5 percent from the floor.

A serviceable big man who has always been a reliable defender and rebounder, Theis could provide immediate frontcourt depth to the Clippers, who are looking to compete for their first title in team history this season.

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Trading for Theis would not be an easy task for the Clippers' front office, especially since they are well above the salary cap. Theis is set to make $9.1 million during the 2023-24 season and he has a $9.5 million team option on his current contract for the 2024-25 season. In order to acquire him from Indiana, the Clippers would need to find a way to match Theis' $9.1 million for this season.

The veteran big man has grown unhappy with his current situation in Indiana, which is why he is a likely trade candidate before the 2024 trade deadline in February.