Deal of the Day: Wizards Make Sweet Music with the Jazz?

Washington acquires center Tony Bradley

By JHeiser3 Nov 8, 2020, 8:00am EST

Deal of the Day 11.8. Salary cap rules may be bent but hopefully not broken.

Today’s Deal: Hey Utah, What You Got?

The Deal has been all over the country hunting for improvements large and small. In this scenario we do a small big deal. Let me explain.

The Wizards trade guard Jerome Robinson to the Utah Jazz for center Tony Bradley (Tar Heel).

Why do the Jazz do the deal?

Because we’ve been doing Deals since SEPTEMBER and haven’t paid a visit to the Salt Lake City yet.

The Jazz acquired guard Jordan Clarkson last December to give their bench unit some scoring punch. They were undermanned in the playoffs and basically had to let Clarkson do whatever he could once in the game. Now Clarkson is an unrestricted free agent. If they lose him they’ll be on the lookout for more bench scoring help. Of course they have other needs as well and can’t just sign unlimited FAs. Enter our main man with the bubble bounce plan, Jerome Robinson.

Why do the Wizards do the deal?

The Wizards are also strapped for ways to improve their roster beyond the MLE BAE and draft. If they strike out with their top free agent targets maybe they shift to Plan B — B for Bradley.

Okay, he’s no better than a Plan E, which is still a better plan than Ian Mahinmi and Andrew Nicholson in 2016.

Still stings.

Bradley was the 28th pick of the 2017 draft after he surprised everyone (ME!) by leaving the University of National Champions (UNC) after his freshman year. We’re not going to talk about how he could have won back-to-back titles but he left and they were ousted by Texas A+M in the second round. Why would we talk about that?

He’s going into his fourth NBA season and he turns 23 in January.

Bradley’s been a developmental project for the Jazz. He logged more than 1200 minutes in the G League averaging 14 points, 9 rebounds with a block and an assist over two seasons. He didn’t get regular minutes with the Jazz until 2019-20. Even then it was 10-12 minutes per game behind the Stifle Tower, Rudy Gobert. It doesn’t look like much but it’s not easy getting five points and five boards in 11 minutes a night. His per 36 numbers must be quite a flex, right? Correct!

Bradley scores 15.5, rebounds 14.5 and blocks 1.8 shots Per 36 minutes.

Bradley (106 PPA) is a solid screener. He’s not a vertical spacer. If there’s one way he reminds me of the great Tim Duncan, it’s in how little he gets off the ground for put backs and layups. At 6-10.75 with a 7-5 wingspan and a 9-4.5 standing reach he doesn’t require bounce. If those measurements look familiar, that’d be weird. How could you already know they’re super close to our own Thomas Bryant’s tale of the tape? They are.

Defensively he’s not going to make a living switching. His straight line speed is good. His overall agility isn’t. Hedging? Yes he can do a bit of that but if you’re acquiring him you’re committing to drop coverage with some occasional zone given his strength inside. Play to his strengths and good things happen.

He’d be a nice option to have off the bench for the bigger more physical front lines the Wizards will face in 2021. If the Wizards don’t land top options in free agency, of course.

Wizards would have #9, #37, the MLE and the BAE:

John Wall - Ish Smith - Shabazz Napier (UFA)
Bradley Beal - Troy Brown Jr. - Garrison Mathews (RFA)
________ - Isaac Bonga - Admiral Schofield
Rui Hachimura - Davis Bertans (UFA)
Thomas Bryant - Tony Bradley - Moritz Wagner - Anzejs Pasecniks (camp guarantee)