Philadelphia 76ers: Tony Bradley’s season isn’t going as planned

Tony Bradley closed out his first run as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers with a perfect game.

Earning his seventh start in eight games in place of Joel Embiid, the one-time Utah Jazzman took the court against the Golden State Warriors and promptly went off to the tune of an 18-10 double-double in 32 minutes off of 8-8 shooting from the field and 2-2 from the line. Bradley set good screens for Tobias Harris, who led all scorers at 25, threw down a sweet dunk, and even formed a solid tandem with Ben Simmons, who didn’t typically play well with non-shooting centers.

Did said game generate more than a few scorching hot takes? You bet; folks called Daryl Morey a genius for landing Bradley’s Bird Rights in a trade for failed draft pick Zhaire Smith from the Detroit Pistons and talks about extending the then-23-year-old former first-round pick hit an all-time high. Goodness, could Bradley be the Sixers’ long-term backup center? Could his switchability and talents around the glass be enough to offset his lack of a deep ball? Could Bradley’s game grow to be even more expansive and form the sort of 48 minute defensive keystone the Sixers desperately needed when they faced off against the Toronto Raptors?

Those conversations were memorable, mentally stimulating, and ultimately meaningless, as Daryl Morey traded Bradley, Terrance Ferguson, and Vincent Poirier plus a ton of second-round draft capital in a three-team deal with the OKC Thunder and New York Knicks that netted Philly George Hill and Ignas Brazdeikis, who was eventually waived to make way for Anthony Tolliver.

Did that deal ultimately work out for the Philadelphia 76ers? No. George Hill never quite got his game back after having hand surgery a month before the trade, and Tolliver didn’t make much of an impact on the team’s final record. But for Tony Bradley, the results were much better, as he parlayed a strong showing down the stretch for the formerly Seattle SuperSonics to a new two-year, $3.8 million contract with the Chicago Bulls. Did that move work out in Bradley’s favor? … let’s just say things aren’t looking good.

The former Philadelphia 76ers center hasn’t really caught on in Chicago.

Tony Bradley has appeared in 46 games with the Chicago Bulls so far this season. He’s earned seven starts, played 506 total minutes, and averaged 3.1 points and 3.7 rebounds in 11 minutes of action a night.

Those numbers aren’t great.

When actually afforded a role in Billy Donovan’s rotation, Bradley has been better, averaging 6.7 points and 5.4 rebounds in games where he played 15 or more minutes, but considering that has only happened seven times this season, six of which came in starts, those opportunities haven’t been easy to come by for the UNC product.

What has been easy to come by, however, has been the gif of Bradley getting picked up and walked cross-court by Steven Adams after a minor tie-up with Ja Morant in the Bulls’ 106-119 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies.

What? You haven’t seen this particular viral moment? Well, watch it below.

… see what I mean? A normal starter would struggle to live that one down, but for a player like Bradley, who isn’t exactly filling up the nightly boxscore, it can define a season in a not-so-good way. With a player option on his contract for the 2022-23 season, which would pay him $2.03 million if he opts in, Bradley has a better than not chance of righting the ship and establishing himself as a solid second-string center behind one-time Sixer/noted Philadelphia Eagles fan Nikola Vukavic, but if he just doesn’t like the way things are going in Chicago, he could always opt-out and attempt to re-establish his career at the tender age of 25 if he so chooses.

Hmm… considering the Sixers might be trotting out 77-year-old 33-year-old DeAndre Jordan for meaningful playoff minutes later this year, a reunion in Philadelphia certainly wouldn’t be the worst idea imaginable.

Will things ultimately work out for Tony Bradley? Will he be able to overcome his viral moment and come out on top for the Chicago Bulls? Maybe, but after watching the Bulls secure Tristan Thompson on the buyout market and immediately insert him into the rotation as a 15 minutes per game contributor, it would appear the one-time Philadelphia 76ers center might just have to wait this season out and hope to find a new home this summer; a tough followup to an impressive fourth season in the pros.