Veteran Avery Bradley among six players cut by Warriors
FILE – Avery Bradley #11 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks to pass the ball in a game against the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at Staples Center on February 25, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images/AFP
The Golden State Warriors informed veteran guard Avery Bradley that he was placed on waivers.
Bradley is one of the six players let go by the Warriors in a 15-hour time period.
Article continues after this advertisementGolden State coach Steve Kerr told Bradley, forward Jordan Bell and guards Mychal Mulder and Gary Payton II that they didn’t make the team after Friday night’s 119-97 preseason victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.
On Saturday, the Warriors waived swingman L.J. Figueroa and forward Axel Toupane.
Bradley, 30, has played in 598 games (499 starts) with seven teams over 11 seasons and has averaged 11.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
Article continues after this advertisementHe split last season between the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets and averaged 6.4 points in 27 games (six starts). He shot just 37.4 percent from the field.
Bradley played his first seven seasons with the Boston Celtics before he began bouncing from team to team. He signed with Golden State last month.
“It was very difficult to release all of those guys,” Kerr said of the releases of Bradley, Bell, Mulder and Payton. “They’re all NBA players.
“Avery, obviously, has put together a great career. He’s healthy. He played really well, especially once he got his legs underneath him. Mike Mulder has helped us the last couple years. He’s a wonderful teammate and competitor. Jordan Bell, it was really fun to have him here. He’s grown up a lot, on and off the floor. He had a great camp. Same with Gary.”
Bell has averages of 3.7 points and 3.1 rebounds in 160 games (17 starts) with four teams over four NBA seasons. Bell played in 126 games with Golden State in two stints.
Mulder averaged 6.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 67 games (nine starts) over two seasons with the Warriors. Payton has averages of 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 71 games (23 starts) with four teams over five seasons.
The son of Hall of Famer Gary Payton played in 10 games for the Warriors last season. He averaged 2.5 points and 1.1 rebounds.
Figueroa signed with Golden State as an undrafted free agent. He played college basketball at St. John’s and Oregon.
Toupane has career averages of 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds in 33 games (one start) with three teams over three seasons. He also has played professionally overseas.
Golden State opens the season on Tuesday with a road game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
RELATED STORIES
