Avery Bradley is returning to the Clippers — and a sea of guards
By Jason Patt
The Los Angeles Clippers are bringing Avery Bradley back to a crowded backcourt after he played just six games for them last season.
Avery Bradley appeared in only six games for the Los Angeles Clippers last year following a midseason trade from the Detroit Pistons, but apparently the Clippers have seen enough of Bradley to believe in him. The 27-year-old has agreed to a two-year, $25 million deal to return to the Clippers, according to Yahoo Sports’ Shams Charania. It’s unclear if the second year has an option or is fully guaranteed.
Bradley made a name for himself as a 3-and-D stud with the Boston Celtics, but last year didn’t go well after the Celtics traded him to Detroit in the offseason. The 6-foot-2 guard put up 15 points per game and shot 38.1 percent from 3 with the Pistons, but those solid numbers masked a player who didn’t make a positive impact.
Detroit was outscored by 5.0 points per 100 possessions with him on the court, the worst mark among the team’s rotation players, per NBA.com. He didn’t offer much offensively outside of his 3-point shooting, and his defense has become a tad overrated.
Bradley went to the Clippers midseason in the Blake Griffin trade. He didn’t do much in just six games before missing the rest of the year with a sports hernia injury that ultimately required surgery.
The Clippers seem to be banking on a healthy Bradley regaining effectiveness, but it’s still a somewhat curious move given their current depth chart. Los Angeles extended veteran shooting guard Lou Williams last year and just drafted two guards in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jerome Robinson. Patrick Beverley is set to return from an injury, while Milos Teodosic, Sindarius Thornwell and Jawun Evans are also on the roster.
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The Clippers could easily move on from some of these players to help balance things out. Bradley could also be a trade chip, especially if 2019-20 isn’t fully guaranteed. It would actually be a bit surprising if the second year is already fully guaranteed given the desire to keep cap space open for the 2019 offseason, but perhaps LA really wanted Bradley back.