Celtics trade guard Bradley to Pistons.
One of the biggest questions facing the Detroit Pistons this offseason was what they would do with guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. On Friday, they replaced him. The Pistons traded forward Marcus Morris to Boston in exchange for guard Avery Bradley and a second-round draft pick in 2019. Bradley’s arrival gives the Pistons a replacement for Caldwell-Pope, who had been a restricted free agent. Detroit renounced its rights to Caldwell-Pope after the trade.
Bradley averaged 16.3 points per game last season for the Celtics, but Boston is adding All-Star forward Gordon Hayward and moving on from Bradley. Morris averaged 14 points for Detroit.
Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge released a statement thanking Bradley for his contributions.
“It’s no secret that Avery had been one of my favorite players,” Ainge said. “Avery did a lot of the dirty work and often didn’t get the recognition that he deserved, but our coaches, staff, his teammates, and our fans who watched him play every night appreciated what a special player and person he is.”
Bradley was the longesttenured member of the Celtics. Picked 19th overall in the 2010 draft, he developed into one of the league’s best defenders, making the All-Defensive second team in 2013 and first team in 2016. He is entering the final season of a four-year contract.
Heat-Mavericks deal: Miami sent oft-injured forward Josh McRoberts to Dallas for center A.J. Hammons and a 2023 second-round draft pick. The move frees needed salary-cap space for Miami, which owed McRoberts just over $6 million for next season, compared with the $1.3 million Hammons is to make. McRoberts was limited to 81 games with the Heat in the past three seasons. New Pacer: A person with knowledge of the situation said Washington has renounced its rights to free agent Bojan Bogdanovic, a 6-8 small forward, so he can sign a two-year, $21 million deal with Indiana.
Bogdanovic averaged 13.7 points per game last season split between Brooklyn and Washington. Green to Cavs: A person familiar with the negotiations says Cleveland has agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.3 million contract with forward Jeff Green. The 6-foot-9 Green averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds for Orlando last season. Crawford turned loose: Atlanta waived guard Jamal Crawford after agreeing to a buyout of his contract, making him a free agent if he’s not claimed. The Hawks had just acquired the three-time Sixth Man of the Year from the Los Angeles Clippers in a three-team trade that included Denver.
Summer League: Play in Las Vegas opened with second overall draft pick Lonzo Ball making his Lakers debut with five points, five assists and four assists in 32 minutes in a 96-93 overtime loss to the Clippers. The point guard from UCLA shot 2-for-15, including 1-for-11 from three-point distance. Guard Sindarius Thornwell, a 2017 second-round pick from South Carolina, scored 26 points for the Clippers.