The Los Angeles Lakers claimed Avery Bradley off waivers Monday, filling the final spot on the guaranteed roster.
The Lakers planned to not use the final spot right away to wait for buyout moves or surprise releases, so when the Golden State Warriors released Bradley after the preseason, L.A. made the move.
According to a report from Dave McMenamin of ESPN, L.A. signed Bradley because of his familiarity with the team:
With both Trevor Ariza (ankle) and Talen Horton-Tucker (thumb) out while recovering from surgery, Bradley appealed to the Lakers as a reliable perimeter defender, possessing institutional knowledge of coach Frank Vogel’s defensive schemes from his time with the team in 2019-20, sources said.
Bradley played for the Lakers during the regular season before the coronavirus pandemic shut down the league, but he opted out of the Orlando bubble.
The Lakers can use the 30-year-old guard to defend the 1 to 3 spots on the floor, and he’s a career 36.3% 3-point shooter. He’s solid value for the final spot on the squad.
