In the midst of shaking off a midseason rut, the Detroit Pistons have dangled their defensive ace, Avery Bradley in trade talks leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
Among the suitors calling in for his services, were the Los Angeles Lakers, who offered their sixth man Jordan Clarkson in return for their three-and-D specialist, according to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press.
Bradley still has $8.8 million owed to him for this 2017-18 season, but he is bound to command a whopping $20 million per year as a free agent this summer — a figure the Pistons are not intent in paying up.
Clarkson has recently boosted his stock with a handful of impressive performances in the wake of Lonzo Ball's injury — seeing more playing time and getting more opportunities to flourish within Luke Walton's lineup.
Bradley has seen his numbers on the decline, now shooting on the low 40s and riddled with injuries throughout this campaign with his new team, after being traded by the Boston Celtics for Marcus Morris in the offseason.
The seven-year veteran has failed to score in double digits in his last three games, missing the most-recent tilt against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday due to lingering groin problems.
Even Bradley's perimeter defensive stats have taken a dip, averaging a whisker over a steal per game, despite being one of the select few one-on-one hawks this game has seen at his size and position.
The Lakers look at this as an opportunity to clear the $25.9 million remaining in Clarkson’s contract after this season, maxing out any potential cap space for what is deemed to be their major shot at free agency stars this summer.
Detroit remains intent in getting a major return in exchange for Bradley, who's averaged 15 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists for the season.
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