Avery Bradley Trade Rumors: Pistons Willing To Deal Guard, Cavaliers Are Logical Suitors

The 2018 NBA trade deadline could be an uneventful one with few star players being mentioned in the latest trade rumors. That makes the report that Avery Bradley could be dealt all the more intriguing.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Detroit Pistons have made Bradley available in trade talks. The news came after Detroit was defeated by the Cleveland Cavaliers Sunday night, suffering their eighth consecutive loss.

Without the injured Reggie Jackson, the Pistons have quickly fallen out of the playoff race. They’ve lost 12 of their last 15 games, putting them four games under .500. Detroit is ninth in the Eastern Conference standings, trailing the Philadelphia 76ers by four games in the loss column for the No.8 seed. Detroit is just two games ahead of the No.11 seed Charlotte Hornets.

Bradley’s contract makes him expendable for the Pistons. He’s set to become a free agent in the summer, and Detroit likely doesn’t want to lose him for nothing if they aren’t even going to make the postseason.

It was less than a year ago that Bradley was arguably the second-best player on the second-best team in the East. He had a career-year in 2017, averaging 16.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the Boston Celtics. The team traded him in the offseason so they could create space under the salary cap to sign Gordon Hayward to a max contract.

Bradley’s numbers aren’t quite the same in his first season with the Pistons. He’s missed some time with a groin injury, and he’s scoring 15 points per game on just 40.9 percent shooting from the field. However, he could still be a very valuable asset to a team that has a chance to make a deep playoff run.

Just two years removed from making the NBA All-Defensive First Team, Bradley is probably best known for his defense. He could be the perfect fit for a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are struggling to stop any opposing offense.

For the first time in several years, LeBron James’ team might not be a lock to reach the NBA Finals. Only the Sacramento Kings have been a worse defensive team than Cleveland, who is the East’s No.3 seed with just a three-game lead in the loss column over Philadelphia.

The Cavaliers’ backcourt has been a mess this season. Derrick Rose, J.R. Smith and Isaiah Thomas have all been major disappointments when they’ve been healthy enough to play. If Bradley is healthy, he could become the clear best guard on Cleveland’s roster.

What would it take for the Cavs to acquire Bradley? Wojnarowski has said the asking price is “significant,” which could prevent a deal from being made, though Cleveland likely has the pieces to get a trade done if they chose to engage Detroit in discussions.

Cleveland could deal Channing Frye or Iman Shumpert, who were reportedly at the center of a proposed trade involving Sacramento point guard George Hill. The Cavs could also trade their 2018 first-round pick, which is looking more valuable than ever now that the team is struggling in the regular season.

The Cavs trail the Celtics by five games for the East’s best record.