Earlier this month, the Indiana Pacers signed big man Tony Bradley to a 10-day contract to be the team's third-string center behind Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant. At the time, the former first-round pick had not appeared in an NBA game in over two years. Still, there were some reasons to be excited about the addition of Bradley as he gave the Pacers some much-needed depth.
With the Pacers, he appeared in four games, though only one of them was worth writing about--the Monday night loss to the Chicago Bulls. In a revenge game against his former team, Bradley played nearly eight minutes (by far his most in a game with the Pacers). Bradley recorded six points on 3-for-3 shooting, two rebounds, an assist, and a block.
Now that Bradley's 10 days are up, the Pacers have a decision to make. They can either choose not to sign him to another deal, or they can opt to sign him to another 10-day contract. According to recent reports, however, the Pacers have already made a decision on Bradley and what his future in Indiana looks like.
The Pacers are signing Tony Bradley to another 10-day contract
According to Pacers beat writer Dustin Dopirak, the Pacers have signed Bradley to a second 10-day contract. This is interesting for multiple reasons. First, the Pacers initially signed Jahlil Okafor to a 10-day contract before bringing Bradley in. The former No. 3 overall draft pick, who had spent the entire season with the Pacers' G League affiliate, the Mad Ants, did not earn a second 10-day contract from the team. Because of this, it is evident that the Pacers believe Bradley provides more value than Okafor does.
The second reason this is an interesting decision is because the Pacers must make an even more important decision on Bradley once this contract expires. Per NBA rules, the Pacers cannot sign Bradley to another 10-day contract after his second one expires. At that point, they would have to decide to let him walk or sign him for the rest of the season. Given that the regular season is almost finished, it is likely the latter, but it is something worth monitoring either way.
Barring injuries to Turner and Bryant, it is highly unlikely that Bradley would get any type of playing time in the playoffs, except for blowout games. However, it is still a good move for the Pacers to ensure their center depth this late in the season. For the next 10 days, Bradley will be worth keeping an eye on to see if he gets any more opportunities with the end of the season approaching.