Bradley wants $8 million a year

“A source said the Celtics are “going to make a lot of moves in the next year.” While the source said Courtney Lee, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries are on the market, the team’s biggest personnel question this season revolves around Avery Bradley, who they feel is their starting shooting guard for the future.

In fact, that’s why, according to a source, the Celtics offered him a four-year, $24 million deal (with a team option on the fourth year) this past offseason, but he turned it down. That’s because he wants at least $8 million per year, which another source confirmed. Bradley will be a restricted free agent next summer, so things could get “tricky,” as one source said, for the Celtics to keep him.”

Bleacher Report

So by now we all know that Avery Bradley is considered to be one of the best, if not the best perimeter defender in the NBA.  There’s not one guard in the league that he can’t keep up with on the defensive end of the floor.  With that being said, I would have laughed at Bradley for requesting $8 million a year this past summer, strictly due to his lack of offensive production in the second half of last season, specifically in the playoffs.  In last year’s first-round playoff series against the Knicks, Bradley averaged just 6.7 ppg with a mediocre field goal percentage of 40%.  This year there’s a new Avery Bradley in town.  Thanks to the stellar play of Steez at point guard, Bradley has settled back into his natural role at shooting guard and he seems more comfortable than ever.  So far in the month of December, he’s averaging 15.2 ppg, shooting 50% from the field and a ridiculous 60% from the 3-point line.  If (key word: if) he continues to put up these kinds of numbers along with being a lock down defender, I’d say he’s definitely worth the $8 mill.  A player with his type of talent and desire could be a mainstay in Boston for a long time, and I hope that’s the case.

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