The Philadelphia 76ers have added a third center behind Joel Embiid and Dwight Howard.
Daryl Morey has yet to make a big splash in free agency, but he has executed his third trade as lead decision-maker of the Philadelphia 76ers. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Sixers have shipped Zhaire Smith to the Pistons in exchange for Tony Bradley.
Bradley spent last season as Rudy Gobert’s backup in Utah, where he averaged 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds in 11.9 minutes per game. Bradley tallied three starts in 58 regular-season appearances, and he converted all three of his 3-point attempts on the season. That is to say, he will not space the floor.
This is an underwhelming and understandable move from Daryl Morey. While it’s too early to close the book on Zhaire Smith, the writing was on the wall in Philadelphia. He had no path to minutes on a contender, and he now goes to Detroit, a rebuilding squad with a wide-open wing rotation.
For Philadelphia, Bradley will operate as the third-string center behind Joel Embiid and Dwight Howard. Bradley isn’t special, but the Sixers do need extra bodies at the position. Embiid is a lock to miss a decent chunk of games each season, and Howard is no spring chicken. Bradley is a decent enough “break in case of emergency” big.
As far as salaries go, Bradley will make roughly $300,000 more than Smith next season. The Sixers were not expected to pick up Smith’s team option in a couple weeks, so trading him for a more immediately useful piece is justifiable — even if Smith harbors more long-term upside than Bradley.
Here is Adam Aaronson of The Rights to Ricky Sanchez on potential trade implications.
Here’s a theory:
— Adam Aaronson (@SixersAdam) November 22, 2020
Zhaire Smith can only be traded for $4,105,750, while Bradley can be flipped for $4,527,575.
Reggie Bullock and JaVale McGee both make $4,200,000 — too much to trade Zhaire for, but not too much to flip Bradley for.
Could this be a step-ladder situation???
Odds are, this is simply a small move on the margins and Philadelphia plans to go into next season with Bradley on the roster. Smith is essentially entering the final year of his contract, and Bradley has a more realistic chance at playing time over that span. Smith should finally get a chance for reps in Detroit.