After several short-term stints, the Indiana Pacers have decided to make it official—Tony Bradley is sticking around. The team confirmed in a press release on Sunday that Bradley, who’d previously signed two 10-day contracts, will now be locked in with a standard deal for the rest of the season.
Bradley might not have had a ton of minutes since joining the Pacers on March 2, but he’s made the most of what he’s been given. In seven appearances, he’s averaged just five minutes per game but chipped in a decent 3.0 points per outing. Not too shabby when you consider he’s shooting an impressive 83% from the field, sinking 10 of his 12 shots—including his lone three-point attempt—and grabbing 13 rebounds overall.
But what really turned heads was his performance when the Pacers needed it most. With four starters sidelined during Monday’s win over the Minnesota Timberwolves, Bradley stepped up big time. He dropped 12 points on 6-for-8 shooting and nearly snagged a double-double with nine rebounds. Talk about seizing the moment.
For fans who’ve followed his journey, it’s been a long road for the big man. Bradley was part of the North Carolina squad that clinched the national title in 2017, and he was taken in the first round of that year’s NBA Draft. Since then, he’s bounced around quite a bit—suiting up for the Jazz, 76ers, Thunder, and Bulls in a total of 179 NBA games. The Bulls eventually waived him back in February 2022.
After that, Bradley found himself grinding it out in the G League. He had a spell with the Texas Legends (the Dallas Mavericks’ affiliate), then moved on to the College Park Skyhawks, linked to the Atlanta Hawks. It wasn’t until this March that the Pacers gave him another shot at the NBA, bringing him on board with a 10-day contract.
The opportunity opened up after the Pacers traded away injured center James Wiseman—who unfortunately tore his Achilles in the season opener—to the Raptors. Initially, they promoted Jahlil Okafor from the G League’s Mad Ants and gave him a 10-day contract, but that didn’t turn into anything long-term. Enter Bradley, who’s made the better impression.
Now, with the ink dry on a standard deal, Bradley’s journey takes another turn—one that sees him back in the NBA for the long haul, at least for this season. And with performances like his recent one, he’s making a pretty strong case to stay there.
