Avery Bradley Trade Rumors: Latest News, Buzz, Speculation on Celtics Guard
With the Chicago Bulls shopping guard Jimmy Butler, per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, a source told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune on Thursday that the Boston Celtics have been in talks with the Bulls and have included guard Avery Bradley in discussions.
Bradley recorded a career-high 15.2 points and 2.1 assists for the Celtics last season.
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Bradley's Career Year Makes Him a Solid Trade Chip
Thursday, June 23
In a draft class headlined by Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, the Celtics were shopping their No. 3 pick for "an established veteran," per ESPN.com's Marc Stein. But they were unable to get a deal done and ended up picking California small forward Jaylen Brown at No. 3 on Thursday night.
Boston may have included Bradley in trade talks in order to sweeten the pot so it could acquire Butler. On Tuesday, Stein reported (via Mark Strotman of CSN Chicago) that the Celtics inquired about a deal for Butler, but the Bulls were not interested.
Over his six seasons in the NBA, Bradley has developed from a seldom-used shooter to a vital part of Boston's backcourt alongside Isaiah Thomas. He's seen his minutes increase each year. In 2010-11, he averaged 5.2 minutes per game, while that number was 33.4 in 2015-16.
He isn't the most dangerous shooter from distance, having just a 36 percent mark from three-point range for his career, but he makes up for it with his aggressive style of play.
Bradley has explosive speed and agility that allows him to make devastating cuts to the basket and open up the offense, as seen below:
With the Bulls having dealt Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks on Wednesday, per ESPN.com, Bradley possesses plenty of athleticism in the backcourt to be a suitable replacement for him. But he doesn't possess the same scoring capabilities as Butler, who put up 20.9 points per game last season.
The Celtics, though, are a team coming off a 48-win season, and with some solid additions to their frontcourt, they could be serious contenders in the Eastern Conference next season. Dealing Bradley—especially if it isn't for Butler—could damage the team chemistry and the Celtics' playoff hopes moving forward.
Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com.
