Trade #1
Struggling to find his rhythm all year, Avery Bradley has had a very disappointing first full season with the Los Angeles Clippers. Bradley was acquired in the Blake Griffin deal last January, but he hasn’t panned out the way fans expected him to.
On a nightly basis, Bradley is playing to many minutes, taking tough contested mid-range shots, missing wide open threes and letting his man score at ease. I believe it is time for this experiment to finally end and allow more playing time for either 2nd-year guard Tyrone Wallace or rookie-guard Jerome Robinson.
By acquiring Dewayne Dedmon from the Atlanta Hawks, this will give the Clippers a stop-gap center for the remainder of this season and possibly next year. Dedmon’s $7.5 million salary comes off of the books this summer.
The Clippers have been killed offensively and defensively in terms of scoring and rebounding by opposing starting big-men. Dedmon is a solid rebounder and has enough athleticism and touch to score and defend around the rim.
The Hawks benefit from this deal by getting a future 2nd-round pick for an expiring deal plus a guard, who when given less minutes, plays better. At this stage of his career, Bradley should come off the bench with Jeremy Lin and Kent Bazemore.
If he doesn’t work out for the Hawks, they can choose not to guarantee his 2nd-year option of his contract this off-season.