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A former Philadelphia 76ers big man is out of a job after a rival team added a veteran guard with a hometown connection.
The Chicago Bulls added Patrick Beverley this week after his buyout from the Orlando Magic was finalized. In order to free up a roster spot for Beverley, the Bulls parted ways with former Sixers center Tony Bradley, who had been stuck at the end of the rotation this season.
Homecoming for Beverley
The Bulls announced Beverley’s signing and Bradley’s departure on February 21, a move that may not have been too much of a surprise given Bradley’s lack of playing time. The 25-year-old rarely saw the floor this season, averaging a career-low 2.8 minutes per game and scoring 1.6 points per game.
The Bulls are fighting for a spot in the playoffs, coming out of the All-Star break two games out of the final play-in spot for the Eastern Conference. Beverley told the team’s website this week that he’s thrilled to be back playing for his hometown team and excited to get started.
“My grandma, city of Chicago, she adopted 11 kids. I’m the youngest out of most of them,” Beverley said, adding, “The way I play, I run through a wall for any team I play. This is even more. It’s the city where I’m from, so I don’t know what might happen. I might pull some (crap) out I ain’t never did before. I’m super stoked.”
Departure for Bradley
Bradley had a short but important tenure with the Sixers, coming off the bench in the 2020-21 season and averaging 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. He was shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade for veteran guard George Hill ahead of that season’s trade deadline.
There had been some rumors that the Sixers could be interested in a reunion with Bradley this season. Michael Kaskey-Blomain of CBS Sports speculated that Philadelphia could trade for Bradley to shore up the frontcourt depth.
“Bradley isn’t a flashy player, but he has solid size for a center and thus could offer some rebounding and rim protection in spurts,” Kaskey-Blomain wrote. “Bradley has played sparingly for the Bulls this season, as he has appeared in just 10 games for a total of 26 minutes. As a result, he could be available at a not-too-steep asking price.”
The Sixers ended up making another move to boost their frontcourt, signing center Dewayne Dedmon after his release from the Miami Heat. Dedmon averaged 5.7 points and 3.6 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game for the Heat this season.
P.J. Tucker said he’s excited for his former teammate to join the Sixers.
“Dewayne brings a versatile, tough big guy that is super vocal,” Tucker said, via USA Today’s Sixers Wire. “He talks just as much as me. He’s loud and he’s got an aggressive voice and he’s been around. He knows how to play. So I think having those kind of guys on the bench to be able to come in on different nights and help us out, it’s gonna be huge for us down the stretch.”