Getty NBA free agent Avery Bradley.
Things are happening fast for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. On Thursday, it was revealed that the team is letting go of Quinn Cook and then it was also reported that JaVale McGee is going to exercise his player option. Avery Bradley has been a player to keep an eye on due to his player option and he’s come to a decision.
According to Yahoo Sports’ Chris Haynes, Bradley has decided to decline his player option and become a free agent.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley is declining his $5 million player option for the 2020-21 season and hitting free agency, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
For a while, it looked like he’d decide to stick around for another season but he decided to change representation and will now test free agency. Bradley is a great defender who can also hit 3s. He should garner some interest from teams throughout the league.
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Will Lakers Try to Re-Sign Him?
The decision for Bradley to opt-out of his contract shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Teams love players who can play defense and hit 3s. Also, the fact that he sat out of the NBA bubble and wasn’t with the team during the championship run puts him in an odd situation.
He was an important part of the team during the regular season but the fact that he didn’t play in the playoffs puts him on the outside looking in with the team. That said, there’s still a chance he returns. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, he’d like to stay with the team.
“Free agency begins on Friday,” Shelburne said on Mason and Ireland, via Silver Screen & Roll.” There is a market for Avery Bradley out there. I am told that he would like to stay in Los Angeles, but he wants another deal. He only has one year on this deal.”
With the Lakers landing Dennis Schroder, the need to keep Bradley isn’t as big. However, he’d still be a valuable piece. He started most regular-season games for the Lakers last season and was an important member of the team. Danny Green is gone which is going to hurt the team’s defense. Keeping Bradley could have added importance with Green gone.
Teams That Could Be Interested in Bradley
There should at least be some mutual interest between the Lakers and Bradley to run it back but there are teams who will look at the veteran. Chris Haynes recently reported that several contending teams are interested in Bradley, including the Golden State Warriors and Milwaukee Bucks. Part of why they want him could be because they’d like to make the Lakers worse.
There’s a lot of motivation around the league to make Los Angeles weaker. They’ve got the best duo in the NBA and just won a championship while only losing five games throughout the entirety of the playoffs. There’s also the fact that Bradley can bring a lot to a team. He’s experienced and plays great defense. Every team can use a player like that. Though it would appear the Lakers have the advantage, they’ll have to give him a competitive offer if they want to keep him away from other teams.
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