The Utah Jazz have hired former NBA guard Avery Bradley as the vice president of player development, the team announced.
“When you get the opportunity to bring in someone with the wealth of experience and insight that Avery has, it’s always an exciting addition,” general manager Justin Zanik said in a statement. “He’ll bring an important perspective working with our team as well as our coaches and players as we move forward in our ultimate goal of winning an NBA Championship.”
Utah finished the season at 31-51 and missed the playoffs and play-in tournament.
Bradley was the No. 19 overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, spending his first seven seasons with the Boston Celtics. After that, he bounced around the NBA, serving stints with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, and then the Lakers again. He last played in the NBA in the 2021-22 season.
Bradley, 33, never officially announced his retirement, though he went unsigned as a free agent in each of the last two seasons.
A top-notch defender, Bradley was named to the All-Defensive team on two occasions, including to the First Team in 2016.
Interestingly, Bradley was among the players who opted out to play in the NBA Bubble in 2020 — though he was a member of the Lakers team that won the championship that year. He just didn’t participate in the conclusion of the regular season, the playoffs or the Finals.
He finished his career with averages of 11.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 660 games.
The Jazz said his role with the front office will include evaluating talent and “guiding the collaboration” between the players, front office, and coaching staff.
“A native of Tacoma, Wash., Bradley played one collegiate season at Texas in 2009-10, averaging 11.6 points, 2.9 boards, 2.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 34 games (32 starts),” the release noted. “He finished high school at Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., where he was named a 2009 McDonald’s High School All-American, also winning the All-American Dunk Contest.”
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
