Tony Bradley 10-day contract with the Pacers expired after Tuesday’s game, but the team doesn’t intend to let him go at this point, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star, who reports that Indiana plans to sign the veteran center to a second 10-day deal.
The 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft, Bradley spent six years in the NBA from 2017-23, but wasn’t in the league last season and had gone more than two calendar years without playing in a regular season game before making four appearances for the Pacers during his first 10 days with the team.
Bradley saw mop-up action during those four appearances, logging just nine total minutes and registering six points, four rebounds, and a block in his limited action. Still, the Pacers apparently saw enough from the big man to feel confident about hanging onto him as their 15th man for at least 10 more days.
Bradley will continue to serve as the third center on Indiana’s depth chart behind Myles Turner and Thomas Bryant. The former UNC standout will earn $150,179 on his 10-day contract, bringing his total 20-day earnings to just over $300K, while the Pacers add another $119,972 to their cap.
The Pacers don’t play again until Friday in Philadelphia, so they may wait a day or two to officially complete Bradley’s new deal. If so, he’d be eligible to play in the team’s next six games. If his contract is finalized today, the 27-year-old could be active for up to five more games — in that scenario, his deal would expire the night before Indiana’s March 22 matchup with Brooklyn.
Once Bradley’s second 10-day contract is up, the Pacers would have to sign him for the rest of the season if they want to retain him.