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Memphis Grizzlies: Taking a look at the new arrivals

By Jake Peterson

MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 9: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies smiles during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 9, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
MEMPHIS, TN - FEBRUARY 9: Mike Conley #11 of the Memphis Grizzlies smiles during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans on February 9, 2019 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tennessee. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Avery Bradley

Contract situation:

  • 2018-19: $12 million
  • 2019-20: $12.9 million (team option)

What can Avery Bradley do for the Grizzlies now?

Avery Bradley makes his fourth stop in the last three years, having bounced from the Boston Celtics to the Detroit Pistons to the Los Angeles Clippers and now finally to Memphis.

The eighth-year guard out of Texas brings a defensive reputation and long injury history. Bradley has had only two seasons with 70-plus games, reaching 76 in his second-to-last season with Boston. Bradley has stayed relatively healthy so far this season, dealing with occasional knee and ankle issues.

These injuries, especially Bradley’s 2016 Achilles injury, have taken a large chunk out of his production on both ends of the floor. Bradley’s teams have routinely performed better, both offensively and defensively, when he sits on the bench.

Bradley’s shooting has also declined since that injury, when he hovered around the 40 percent mark from downtown. Since then, he’s slipped into the lower end of the 30s while still taking four a game. The Grizzlies could use the Avery Bradley of old, as they rank 27th in the league, shooting just 33.8 percent from downtown as a team.

More worrisome is that Bradley has been attacking the basket less and less over the last three years.

Here’s how he fares on shots from less then five feet:

  • 2016-17: 60.1 percent (29 percent of shots taken)
  • 2017-18: 55.5 percent (27 percent of shots taken)
  • 2018-19: 45.1 percent (21 percent of shots taken)

Bradley’s debut for Memphis was less than underwhelming, going just 3-for-10 and having three turnovers.

Does Bradley fit in with the Grizzlies’ future plans?

It looks like this will be a hard “no.” Bradley just isn’t the player he once was. Given his injury history and proximity to 30, he probably won’t be on the team next year.

What Bradley does bring to the table is his contract has a team option (a rarity these days). The Grizzlies could ship his contract off to a team trying to unload money and get a second round pick in the process. That is something we won’t see until months later, however.

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