When the New York Knicks begin training camp for their upcoming title defense, they just might have two former Philadelphia 76ers centers on the roster. We already know that Andre Drummond is going to be in the mix.
Could the former forgotten 76ers center Tony Bradley battle alongside the former All-Star? The Knicks are reportedly mulling the idea of picking Bradley up.
A shocking shot at redemption in the Big Apple
Ian Begley, the Knicks insider for SNY, tossed out Bradley's name as a "player on the Knicks' radar" without any mention of another. The fact that he's the lone name mentioned could be a sign that at least a tryout could be in store for Bradley this offseason.
The 28-year-old center recently had a shot with two different teams. Last season, Bradley appeared in 38 games with the rebuilding Indiana Pacers. With 10.9 minutes of action on average, Bradley put up 4.0 points per game and came down with 2.8 rebounds per game.
After multiple 10-day deals expired for the veteran, the Atlanta Hawks picked him up later. On a rest-of-season contract with the Hawks, Bradley saw the court for just three games during the regular season. He appeared in four playoff games against the Knicks, averaging 10.3 minutes of playing time in the first-round series.
Clearly, the veteran big man had some level of impact in those outings, as the Knicks are interested months later.
The Knicks-Sixers backcourt connection
This summer, the 76ers and the Knicks swapped backup centers. Andre Drummond wrapped up his second stint in Philly (over two seasons) by signing a contract with the Knicks. After they lost Mitchell Robinson, Drummond is viewed as the primary backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
The Knicks allowed Ariel Hukporti to walk in free agency. He took on the opportunity to replace Drummond's roster spot. Now, Hukportki and Adem Bona will battle for the primary backup spot behind Joel Embiid.
Bradley hasn't played with the 76ers in quite some time, but he's connected to the organization. In 2020-2021, the Sixers traded for Bradley, who wrapped up a three-year run with the Utah Jazz. At the time, Bradley was entering his age-23 season. He played in 20 games for the Sixers, averaging 7.1 points and 5.7 rebounds.
The Sixers took advantage of a Bradley hot streak and sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a trade to acquire the veteran guard, George Hill. The deal seemed logical at the time, but Hill didn't move the needle for Philly's bench during the 2021 playoffs.
On the bright side, Bradley didn't exactly make the Sixers regret their decision. He has struggled to carve out a steady role in the NBA for years. There were stints in Chicago, Indiana, and Atlanta, with a sprinkle of G League action. Maybe the Knicks will give him a shot to improve his stock.
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