Getty Avery Bradley and Stephen Curry during a 2019 game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors.
On the eve of the beginning of the 2021-2022 NBA campaign, the Los Angeles Lakers are employing a bit of gamesmanship ahead of their season-opener against the Golden State Warriors.
The Los Angeles Lakers have claimed Avery Bradley off waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
“The Los Angeles Lakers have claimed Avery Bradley off waivers, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium” Shams Charania tweeted.
What makes the Lakers’ pickup particularly interesting is that the Warriors just waived Bradley last Friday. Bradley was among a small group of players thought to be in strong contention for the Dubs’ 15th and final roster spot.
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Now that Bradley is back with the Lakers – he spent the 2019-2020 season in Los Angeles – it’ll be interesting to see how much playing time he gets against Golden State on Tuesday night.
The Lakers and Warriors are scheduled to tipoff at 10 p.m. ET on Tuesday.
Curry, Green Among Group of ‘Strong Advocates’ for Keeping Bradley
GettyOtto Porter Jr., Draymond Green, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins during a preseason game between the Golden State Warriors and Denver Nuggets.
Another interesting subplot to the Bradley-Warriors-Lakers triangle is that some of the Dubs biggest stars were reportedly hoping for the organization to hold onto the two-time member of the NBA’s All-Defensive team.
“In releasing Avery Bradley, the Warriors had to thwart the wishes of their best players, according to team sources,” The Athletic Bay Area columnist Marcus Thompson II wrote on Sunday. “Stephen Curry and Draymond Green were among a group of strong advocates for keeping Bradley. The almost 31-year-old entering his 12th season didn’t look especially impactful in his preseason run. But those who favored Bradley weren’t at all concerned about how a proven veteran looked in preseason. Instead, they saw Bradley as someone with the credibility to help their hopes for a deep playoff run.”
Thompson went on to say that there were some thoughts of Bradley potentially starting in place of the on the mend Klay Thompson at the start of the season, but it appears that preseason breakout Jordan Poole may have that slot locked down.
“More important, starting Bradley would give the opening lineup a perimeter defender capable of matching up against opposing stars,” Thompson wrote. “Poole isn’t close to ready for such defensive assignments. This means when the Warriors face teams with two perimeter stars, Curry will have to match up with one, exposing him to foul trouble and fatigue, a big deal considering he is carrying the offense.”
Kerr Drops Hint at 15th Roster Spot Decision
GettyAnthony Davis, LeBron James and Gary Payton II during a preseason game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors on October 12.
Moments before the Bradley news broke on Monday, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic Bay Area noted that head coach Steve Kerr had no update on which player, if any, would fill the 15th roster spot. Kerr did drop an intriguing hint though.
Steve Kerr had no announcement today on a possible add for the 15th roster spot, but he mentioned Gary Payton II as a possible second-unit player, so you can probably guess where this is headed.
Payton II was waived along with Bradley, Mychal Mulder and Jordan Bell last Friday.
In Thompson’s report on Sunday, he said that Payton II has been a favorite for the final spot throughout most of the preseason and possibly always had the edge over Bradley.
“Payton certainly looked better in the preseason. He is only a couple of years younger than Bradley but has fewer miles and more explosiveness in his legs,” he wrote. “He is a guard who can finish at the rim, which fits in a Warriors offense that lives on cuts and movement.”
The beginning of the Warriors’ 2021-2022 regular season is just over 24 hours away and Dub Nation is ready to get back to the playoffs. Following the battle against the Lakers, the team will host the Los Angeles Clippers at 10 p.m. ET on Thursday for their home-opener.
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