3. Avery Bradley, Los Angeles Clippers
Beverley isn’t the only member of the Clippers backcourt who could find himself on the move by early February.
The Clips re-signed Bradley to a two-year, $25 million deal in July, but only $2 million of his nearly $13 million salary in 2019-20 is guaranteed. He had a miserable 2017-18 campaign as he shuffled between the Detroit Pistons and L.A., but if he’s able to bounce back, suitors should begin to line up ahead of the trade deadline.
During his time with the Boston Celtics, Bradley was widely regarded as one of the NBA’s top backcourt defensive pests. Though he lacks the size to smother bigger guards and wings at only 6’2″ and 180 pounds, he makes up for his diminutive frame with high defensive IQ and an intense, ball-hawking style of play.
With Bradley and Beverley paired alongside one another, the Clippers could have one of the NBA’s most pesky backcourts in the early portion of the 2018-19 season. But if they begin to slip out of the playoff race, they may decide it’s more prudent to turn the backcourt over to their younger prospects and get what they can for their veterans.
The Clippers are under less pressure to move Bradley than they are with Beverley since he’s under contract through next season, but the way they designed his deal likely isn’t a coincidence. Having that minimal amount of money guaranteed should boost his trade value, as contenders can acquire him for this year without worrying about him making an outsized impact on their salary-cap picture for next summer.
If Bradley’s decline continues, the Clippers can treat him as a sunk cost and waive him next July while only having to pay him $2 million. But if he begins to resemble his previous form, L.A. would be wise to dangle him on the trade market to see what it can acquire.