Miami Heat: Could Avery Bradley be a reclamation project?
Could the Miami Heat benefit from rehabilitating Avery Bradley?
The Miami Heat seldom leave their game plan to chance. Rather than rolling the dice on unproven draftees, team president Pat Riley aligns his bow for sure shots, targeting free agents to bolster his teams.
Though the Heat aren’t yet in the market for a big name (at least financially), there are plenty of free agents to go around. Glance down the Miami roster however, and there aren’t too many glaring gaps. Point guard through center, Miami has options.
A healthy Dion Waiters addresses the scoring shortage, while Bam Adebayo and Kelly Olynyk bolster the front court pending uncertainty around Hassan Whiteside. Toss in the flexibility of James Johnson, Justise Winslow and Josh Richardson at the forwards, and you have a medley of core roster combos.
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In the event Miami can’t build around a free agent All-Star, the Heat can make moves this summer through a reclamation project.
The sports world’s version of a museum renovation, teams have seen success refashioning forgotten players into key contributors.
Tyreke Evans was the subject of the Memphis Grizzlies’ most recent development, and his success primed him for a decent payout next season.
If Evans’ price is too high come July however, the Heat might be able to set their sights on current Los Angeles Clipper, Avery Bradley.
Admittedly, Bradley just finished up one of his worst seasons since 2012-13. The 6-foot-2 guard scored just 9.2 points per game after a blockbuster trade for Blake Griffin sent Bradley from the Detroit Pistons to the Clippers.
Formerly a two-time All-Defensive honoree, talk of Bradley’s regression fell on his inability to adapt. Bradley saw his greatest success with head coach Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics. A 39 percent 3-point shooter at his peak, Bradley balanced that effort with consistent work on defense.
Splitting his time between the one and two guards in Boston and Detroit, Bradley’s biggest hindrance was not playing with a pass first point guard in either situation. The rotations forced Bradley to turn into more of a playmaker than he was, leading to forced turnovers and bad passes.
Recently in Los Angeles, Bradley never hit his stride. Entering unrestricted free agency, Bradley is steps behind his former self. But that doesn’t mean he can’t fit in with the Heat.
With Goran Dragic capable of directing an offense, Bradley in Miami would emphasize his offensive game without putting him into uncomfortable playmaking situations.
Signing him to a short-term deal, Bradley can be part of the Tyler Johnson experiment. Johnson, who came up short leading up to his salary raise this summer, features a similar build and skill set to Bradley, and both have plenty to prove.
Bradley and his subtle athleticism love an outlet pass and would benefit the Heat in transition. Miami ranked in the bottom third in transition buckets last year, and Bradley’s leak outs could help an often scatterbrained transition game.
Hopefully, with Johnson and Bradley competing for time, either, or both, would flourish, further providing the Heat with options and potential trade pieces.
If Johnson excels, his hefty contract becomes easier to shed. If Bradley succeeds, he could draw suitors and give Miami future trade leverage.
Better yet, assuming Miami can’t keep Wayne Ellington, whose value is likely to skyrocket after a historically great shooting season, Bradley could be ripe for a lowball offer. His lackluster 2017-18 season, impaired by a surgery on his adductor and rectus abdominus muscles, should limit high bids for his service and keep Miami in the running, even with their minimal cap space.
A deal with Bradley could be a win-win. Rehabilitating him after his injury and rebuilding his career would help Miami’s box score, while benefiting their immediate future if they are unable to secure a huge free agent or trade this summer.
Next: Miami Heat: Four of the best moments from the 2017-18 season
Miami’s roster won’t be an easy fix, but champions aren’t built over night.