The Golden State Warriors have found themselves at the center of numerous discussions regarding the improvement and refinement of their roster as they seek to remain championship contenders while superstar guard Steph Curry remains in The Bay.
On Friday, the Warriors would make a solid decision in their quest to keep their championship window open, as The Athletic’s Shams Charania and Anthony Slater announced that they reached a contract agreement with veteran guard Avery Bradley.
Bradley, 30-years-old, became a popular player throughout the league while with the Boston Celtics. Heralded for his defensive play in combination with respectable offensive contributions, Bradley stuck with the Celtics for seven seasons before being traded to the Detroit Pistons.
However, since then, Bradley’s dealt with myriad injuries and played for half a dozen teams while never quite recapturing the magic of his youth. Fortunately for Bradley, his journey resulted in him winning a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020, a season in which he started 44 of 49 contests and shot 36.4 percent from 3-point range.
Now a role player, Bradley’s addition to the Warriors primarily allows Golden State to breathe more freely while they wait for Klay Thompson to return from his latest injury. He, along with Moses Moody, Jordan Poole, and Andrew Wiggins, will be tasked with providing the perimeter shooting and defense that the team has long missed in Thompson’s absence.
In addition, Bradley’s playoff experience and locker room character track well with the type of veteran that contending teams find invaluable during high-pressure moments that come both during the regular season and postseason.
Averaging 6.4 points per game last season, Bradley’s impact on the scoreboard may not reflect his overall contributions to a team. Nonetheless, as a player who has started 538 out of 637 career games, make no mistakes that the Warriors understand his value.
