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Los Angeles Lakers: Team bolsters guard depth with addition of Avery Bradley

By James Francuz

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 16: Avery Bradley #11 of the Los Angeles Clippers defends agains the dribble of Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of a game at Staples Center on January 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 16: Avery Bradley #11 of the Los Angeles Clippers defends agains the dribble of Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Utah Jazz during the first half of a game at Staples Center on January 16, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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The Los Angeles Lakers continue to add depth to their roster, with their latest addition being defensive stalwart Avery Bradley.

When the Los Angeles Lakers missed out on the Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, being bummed out felt all too natural. Perhaps the saddest thing about it is that he chose to head into the locker room of the other L.A. team.

In spite of that, the Lakers have rebounded rather nicely since Leonard signed with the Clippers. The purple and gold have a fair amount of depth, which is something that the team has lacked in recent memory.

Indeed, they may not possess three superstars to qualify them for that fancy “Big Three” label. Nevertheless, the supporting cast general manager Rob Pelinka has surrounded LeBron James and Anthony Davis with is impressive to behold.

The Lakers added another piece to their roster on Monday in the form of Avery Bradley. Via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Los Angeles took advantage of their room exception in order to acquire the guard.

The pact is for two years at a clip of $9.7 million. Wojnarowski added that the transaction offers a second-year option.

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The deal was made possible on account of a crucial factor Dan Duangdao of Lakers Nation alluded to recently. Bradley’s contract was bought out by the Memphis Grizzlies, thereby giving the Lakers the ability to snatch up the defensive-minded player.

As was noted, that defense of Bradley’s is impossible to not pay attention to. During his nine years of service, he has easily become one of the best perimeter defenders in the game.

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times pointed out some of the accolades Bradley has received due to his “D.” Most notably, the 6-foot-2 guard was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive First Team in 2016.

Another reason the Lakers took a chance on Bradley is because of his ability to knock down three-pointers. He holds a career 36.4 percent mark from said distance.

However, the Lakers can only hope he can showcase more consistency from behind the arc. In 49 appearances for the Clippers this past season, he shot 33.7 percent from three. Contrarily, his numbers jumped to a little over 38 percent while with Memphis.

That being said, the Lakers will need the 28-year-old to replicate the kind of performance he put up with the Grizzlies. Everyone knows that Bradley is capable of guarding elite guards, but the squad would benefit from his shooting.

There is no doubt Bradley will be placed behind Danny Green in the rotation. Despite that, this move is wise because it gives the Lakers an extra piece off the pine. This is important provided that the team endured an abundance of injuries throughout the 2018-2019 campaign.

Per Timothy Rapp of Bleacher Report, Bradley has not found a true home since he left the Celtics after the 2016-2017 season. Although that is true, if he can prove to the Lakers he can score the rock, he should have no issue getting minutes.

This signing bolsters the Lakers’ roster total to 14. With one free spot up for grabs, the team may focus on picking up a player to add to their frontcourt.

Granted their last roster spot is up in the air, one thing is far from uncertain. Magic Johnson loves the fact that the purple and gold signed Bradley.

The five-time champion recently tweeted about the move and constructed a hypothetical fourth quarter lineup for the Lakers. According to Johnson, the following combination would be “almost unbeatable.”

It is easy to see why Johnson likes the idea of Bradley playing in crunch time. Without him, that lineup is already formidable and the insertion of a traditional “3-and-D” guy bestows the Lakers with versatility.

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Overall, Bradley is a welcome addition to the team. While he was a streaky shooter this past season, he has been a pest on defense his whole career. That asset alone makes him quite valuable to a team that is yearning to make a title run.

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