Avery Bradley done for the season
The National Basketball Association always knew there was a likely possibility that a few players would be sitting out when the league returned following the COVID-19 pandemic. On Tuesday, the NBA received confirmation that at least one player on a legitimate NBA championship contender will not be returning to play in Orlando, Florida, when the league resumes play.
Los Angeles Lakers’ guard Avery Bradley told ESPN that he would be unable to return this season due to health concerns around his family. Bradley and his wife Ashley have three children, with the eldest Liam having a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses. It is unlikely Liam would be medically cleared to enter the NBA bubble in Orlando, and Bradley is not prepared to leave his family behind.
“As committed to my Lakers teammates and the organization as I am, I ultimately play basketball for my family,” Avery Bradley said. “And so, at a time like this, I can’t imagine making any decision that might put my family’s health and well-being at even the slightest risk.
“As promised also, I will use this time away to focus on the formation of projects to help strengthen my communities.
Bradley’s reasons for not coming back this season are more than valid and make sense, but his absence will come as a blow to the Lakers, nonetheless. Bradley has featured in 49 games this season for Los Angeles, starting in 44 of them and has played an important two-way role for the squad. He was averaging 8.6 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game this season.
With Bradley officially announcing he will not be back; the Lakers are likely to waive him so they could be able to sign a replacement player to help fill the void. ESPN is reporting Los Angeles are seriously considering the option and are not wasting any time as they believe they have already found their man.
According to the American sports network, former Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard JR Smith has emerged as a leading candidate to replace Bradley with the Lakers when the NBA resumes. The team is already familiar with Smith as he already worked out with the club in February. However, the team opted to sign Dion Waiters at the time instead.
The 34-year-old has been out of the NBA since November 2018, but is an experienced veteran who has played 15 seasons in the league. He is also a familiar face to many in the locker room, including Lebron James, who won an NBA title with Smith in 2016 while they were both in Cleveland.
Teams have until July 1st to make moves and finalize their roster as the NBA has a transaction window that expires then. The idea was to help provide teams with an opportunity to prepare and finalize their squads prior to heading to Orlando.
The Lakers currently sit in first place in the Western Conference and are one of the favourites to win the championship. Boasting an impressive 49-14 record, they are 5.5 games ahead of their inner city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers who remain second in the West.
