Tony Bradley previously looked like a likely cut candidate for the Indiana Pacers, but halfway through preseason, it's looking as though he is going to be the team's third center ahead of James Wiseman.
So far in preseason, Bradley is averaging 1 point and 2.5 rebounds in 5.2 minutes through two games. His stats are nothing to write home about, but it's the fact that he is sharing time with some of Indiana's rotation players that is interesting.
Recently, Tony East of the "Locked On Pacers" podcast noted this. East would not predict that Bradley has officially secured Indiana's third center spot behind Isaiah Jackson and James Wiseman. However, he did point out that this position battle could be worth monitoring.
"I said I'm not calling this a thing. I'm just noticing it that Tony Bradley went in ahead of Wiseman in Minnesota. This time, it happened again and without foul trouble. ... Tony Bradley was again in as the third big." East said.
"I don't even know if I believe that they have him ahead of Wiseman, but it has been interesting to me that Bradley has played with rotation players in both of his stints in preseason, and James Wiseman has not."
Tony Bradley was initially seen as the odd man out for the Pacers
Following Myles Turner's departure in free agency. The Pacers are going to run a committee at center to replace his absence.
Currently, Indiana has four centers on the roster. However, that is a bit unorthodox. If the team opted to trim its depth at the position, Bradley was likely the player who would get the axe.
The former first-round pick offers value, particularly defensively and on the boards. However, he offered the least amount of intrigue compared to the other three big men. Plus, with his contract being non-guaranteed, it made him an easy cut candidate as the Pacers could waive him while gaining financial flexibility.
There is a lot to like about Bradley's game, but Wiseman was seen as the player more likely to contribute to Indiana's center committee.
The Pacers signed the former No. 2 overall pick last year, and he showed flashes before suffering an Achilles injury that ended his season. Even following his injury, the Pacers brought him back this offseason, signaling that they liked him enough to give him another opportunity.
Ultimately, Indiana's center situation is far from solidified. However, things do not look great for Wiseman right now, particularly given that the team is seemingly choosing Bradley over him, even though he is playing decently himself.
In the preseason so far, the Tennessee native is averaging 7.5 points on 100% shooting from the field, 4.5 rebounds, and 1 assist in 13.9 minutes. However, his defense is not doing him any favors, and he still looks a bit lost on the court, even against non-impactful NBA players.
Wiseman also does not have a fully guaranteed contract, which makes him a possible cut candidate for Indiana as well.
With the regular season less than two weeks away from beginning, the Pacers will have some decisions to make soon. As it stands, there are reasons to believe that Indiana will move on from one of its big men to add another point guard into the mix to address that issue. If this turns out to be the case, then one of Bradley or Wiseman will likely be on the move very shortly.
Earlier in the offseason, it looked like a guarantee that Bradley was on his way out. However, given the latest developments, this no longer looks to be the case for the Florida native.
At the very least, he is not going to go down without a fight, and that might be just enough to ensure his future with the Pacers.