Since the announcement from Gordon Hayward that he will sign with the Boston Celtics, the team was quick to make some moves in order to create enough cap room space for the former Utah Jazz forward. One of the players it had to sacrifice was Avery Bradley, who it ultimately traded for Marcus Morris.
The 26-year-old Texas product may now have the Detroit Pistons as his new team, but what not a lot of people know is that he was almost sent to the Western Conference to play for the L.A. Clippers. Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated confirmed the development, and revealed that the Clippers nearly landed his services.
Clippers were close but no cigar in the Avery Bradley trade talks before he was dealt to the Pistons. Bradley & Pat Beverly defensively 🤔.
— Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) July 8, 2017
The prospect was indeed an intriguing one as he and Patrick Beverley could've formed a very defensive-minded backcourt, that has the potential of giving the opposing guards a lot of difficulty scoring against them. As it turned out, the Pistons will have the chance to start him and have him play alongside Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond, which is a very formidable core as well.
Bradley established himself as one of the best two-way players in the league today, and is widely respected for his defensive skills. His impact in games cannot be measured by the points he scores, but with the energy and hustle he brought to the Celtics night in and night out.
That said, it may have been more than enough reason for the Pistons to pull the trigger on the deal, as it was their chance to add a player with this unique skill set. Should he play close to the level, or even surpass how he played in Beantown, the Pistons might just come out of nowhere and surprise many by contending for the playoffs, and emerge as a dark horse in their conference.
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