Tag: Tony Bradley

ESPN, Athletic grade for the George Hill trade from Thunder to Sixers

See trade grades for the Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks and OKC Thunder trade at the deadline centered around George Hill.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have made their final trade of the 2021 season. They shipped guard George Hill to the Philadelphia 76ers in a three-team deal that also involved the New York Knicks.

With the trade, the Thunder picked up a pair of draft picks. The Sixers received a guard who can help in a title pursuit, and the Knicks moved off the salary of Austin Rivers.

Here are the full details of the trade, according to ESPN:

76ers get: George Hill, Ignas Brazdeikis

Thunder get: Tony Bradley, Austin Rivers, two future second-round picks

Knicks get: Terrance Ferguson, Vincent Poirier and a 2021 second-round pick

ESPN’s Kevin Pelton and The Athletic’s Zach Harper graded the deal.

Dwight Howard reacts to Sixers trading Tony Bradley, acquiring George Hill

Philadelphia 76ers veteran Dwight Howard reacts to the Tony Bradley-George Hill trade.

The Philadelphia 76ers are title contenders in the Eastern Conference and they made a deal on Thursday in an effort to better position themselves to make the title run they believe they can make.

They acquired George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team deal. They sent Tony Bradley and two second-round picks to the Thunder and sent Vincent Poirier, Terrance Ferguson and a second-round pick to the New York Knicks.

Bradley was starting at center for the Sixers in the absence of Joel Embiid who is out with a bone bruise, and he was playing well. Bradley was an underrated part of the team being 5-1 since the big fella went down and veteran Dwight Howard was sad to see Bradley leave.

“It’s very sad to hear about him leaving our team,” said Howard. “I’ve seen from the beginning of the season to now, his energy and his effort has changed, and he’s been playing out of his mind the last couple of games and I’m so proud of him. He has an opportunity to go to Oklahoma City and play big minutes, and I think it’s gonna be a blessing in disguise for him. Sad that he’s leaving our team, but I’m happy for him as a player because he gets that opportunity that he needs, and I hope he continues to work hard and not forget where you came from in the work, and he’s going to be great.”

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The Thunder are one of the younger teams in the league, but they play hard and they will offer an opportunity for Bradley to make an impact. Once Embiid returned, he was going to go back to being the third-string center behind Howard and Embiid, so there were limited opportunities for him.

As for Hill, the veteran has had success in this league but not reached the top. He has been to both the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals, but  not won the title. This is a new opportunity for him to do so.

“I think he will provide a lot of defensive pressure at the guard position,” said Howard. “Also, another savvy veteran who’s played for a while who understands the game, and he’s playing for one reason that’s to win a championship. I’m looking forward to having him on our team. Looking forward to him making a great impact here in Philadelphia. I can’t wait.”

The Sixers will take on the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday to continue their road trip and they will have to decide who starts at the center position now. Normally, it would be Bradley because coach Doc Rivers likes to keep Howard with the second unit. Now he will have to decide on either Howard or maybe rookie Paul Reed.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Report: Thunder trade guard George Hill to Sixers at the trade deadline

The OKC Thunder traded guard George Hill to the Philadelphia 76ers, according to Woj and Shams Charania.

The Philadelphia 76ers are adding a veteran, playoff-experienced guard to bolster their roster for a deep postseason run.

The Sixers have acquired guard George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a three-team trade, according to Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Thunder are receiving guard Austin Rivers, center Tony Bradley and two second-round picks while the New York Knicks are receiving wing Terrance Ferguson, who was traded from OKC to Philly in the offseason.

Philadelphia gets Hill and Knicks forward Ignas Brazdeikis.

Hill averaged 11.8 points and 3.1 assists while shooting 38.6% from 3 in the 14 games he played with the Thunder before undergoing thumb surgery in late January.

Hill adds another element as a playmaker and a shooter for Philadelphia. He was an important part of the Milwaukee Bucks rotation last season, shooting a league-best 46% from 3. Content in the starting lineup or off the bench and able to play either guard position, Hill is a versatile option for the Sixers.

He has also only missed the postseason one time in his career. His experience in big moments can help alleviate pressure off young guards in Philadelphia’s rotation.

Oklahoma City gets Tony Bradley, a 23-year-old on the final year of his rookie contract. He is owed $3.5 million this season and can be issued a qualifying offer worth about $5.3 million this offseason, when he will be an unrestricted free agent.

Bradley has appeared in 20 games for the Sixers this season, his first year in Philadelphia, and averaged 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds in 14.4 minutes per game. He is shooting 68% from the field.

After playing 12 total games over his first two seasons in the league, he has played 68 over the last year and a half with Philly and the Utah Jazz.

Austin Rivers, who has averaged 9.1 points on 34.9% shooting over his career, fell out of the Knicks rotation. The next two years of his contract are non-guaranteed.

The draft picks will be in 2025 and 2026, according to Wojnarowski.

Ferguson did not have any sort of role on the Sixers. He averaged 4.8 minutes over his 13 appearances. In his first three years with the Thunder, he had a substantial role and started 124 games, primarily for his defensive ability. He will go to the Knicks as part of the trade.

This is the third trade the Thunder have made this month. They also traded Hamidou Diallo to the Detroit Pistons for Svi Mykhailiuk and a second-round draft pick, and sent Trevor Ariza to the Miami Heat for Meyers Leonard and a second-round draft pick.

This article will be updated if more information becomes available. 

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Report: Sixers to acquire George Hill from Thunder in a 3-team deal

The Philadelphia 76ers have acquired George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to be one of the top contenders to win a championship out of the Eastern Conference so it makes sense as to why they would make a move at the trade deadline to boost their chances.

One player that was considered to be at the front of their desires was Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry. However, the Sixers pivoted from that and they will now acquire George Hill from the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of a 3-team trade.

The Sixers will acquire Hill from Oklahoma City while sending Tony Bradley to the Thunder and they will send Terrance Ferguson to the New York Knicks. The Sixers are also moving two second-round picks and the Knicks will send Austin Rivers to the Thunder.

The Sixers are also acquiring young Ignas Brazdeikis from the Knicks as well in this deal while also sending big man Vincent Poirier to New York.

Hill is averaging 11.8 points and 3.1 assists for the Thunder, but he has only played in 14 games due to a thumb injury. Oklahoma City has also been looking to play more younger players as they continue to get themselves moving in the right direction for their rebuild.

Hill will be a nice addition to a roster that is in need of another ball-handler and he shoots the 3-pointer at 38.4% for his career. He has also been deep into the playoffs having made an NBA Finals appearance in his career and a couple of Eastern Conference Finals as well. He brings a wealth of experience to the bench.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Tobias Harris has advice for younger Sixers before NBA trade deadline

Philadelphia 76er veteran Tobias Harris has advice for his younger teammates ahead of the trade deadline in the NBA.

The trade deadline in the NBA is approaching fast and furious as March 25 is right around the corner. The Philadelphia 76ers are one of the teams involved in any and all rumors before the deadline as they are a legit contender for a championship.

They are also led by team president Daryl Morey who is one of the bolder front office members in the league. He is not afraid to pull off any big move if he thinks it can put his team in a better position to go deep into the playoffs.

Philadelphia has been involved in a number of rumors such as going after Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry in a deal where rookie Tyrese Maxey has reportedly been made available.

This is one of those crazy times of the NBA season where rumors will be flying and players’ names will be involved. A guy like Tobias Harris, who has been traded four times in his career, knows what that’s like, and he has advice for his younger teammates.

“It’s one of those times of the year that you’ll face it every single year,” said Harris. “My advice is just to stay in the moment right now. You can’t really control any of what’s going on, what you hear.”

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Philadelphia is in the midst of trying to win a title and build enough chemistry in the regular season to lead them into the playoffs. So, Maxey, Tony Bradley and anybody else involved in rumors have to focus on what is going on right now.

“I’m not making any assumptions and putting that in the air, but my biggest advice is to stay right here in this moment,” Harris said. “You’re putting on a uniform and nobody knows what can happen, but I know from experience that this part of this game and this part is just part of the NBA. It’s just one of those things.”

Harris is one of the big leaders on this team and it is clear his words have an effect on his teammates. Bradley did not even know that the deadline was coming up.

“Me personally, I haven’t talked to anybody about the trade deadline,” he stated. “I don’t hear many people, many players talking about it…I wasn’t even aware of the deadline. I don’t really know much about it.”

The deadline is 3 p.m. EST on Thursday so it will be interesting to see how it all shakes out.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Sixers discuss ‘star of the night’ Tony Bradley after win over Warriors

The Philadelphia 76ers praised Tony Bradley as the star of the night in their win over the Golden State Warriors.

With the Philadelphia 76ers missing superstar Joel Embiid right now due to a bone bruise, they have to rely on other players to step up in his place and provide production.

They have decided to turn to 23-year old fourth-year big man Tony Bradley in his place and the young man continues to deliver. He had 18 points, 11 rebounds, and two steals in Tuesday’s 108-98 win over the Golden State Warriors as he continues to produce.

The Sixers needed all of his production in this one as veteran Dwight Howard struggled a bit off the bench as Philadelphia blew a 24-point lead in this one.

“I just thought he was awesome,” said coach Doc Rivers. “If I had a star of the night, he would probably be it tonight. I thought Dwight struggled tonight and we needed a lift at that position and when he came back in the fourth quarter, I thought he did everything right.”

Bradley seemed to be able to have success against Warriors rookie James Wiseman as he used his size and strength against him. He looked like a savvy veteran out there providing the team with what they needed.

“I just want to play every game,” said Bradley. “Come up with some energy and effort. Just show a motor.”

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The Sixers definitely appreciated his motor and his energy in this one. When Philadelphia needed a spark to get them back moving in the right direction, the young big man came through with a big play.

“He’s a guy who came into these minutes and is just doing a great job with them,” said Tobias Harris. “He loves to play, he comes to play, he has great energy, he doesn’t really say too much, but he goes out there, plays his tail off, and he just did so much dirty work for us today and defending really well. He just impacted the game on both sides so guys like that, it’s important. That’s winning basketball right there and he really helped us win tonight’s game.”

As mentioned before, Bradley is only 23-years old despite being in the league for over three seasons now. He still has a lot of developing to do and he is doing all of the dirty work the team needs on a nightly basis.

Some younger players will try to do too much when they are filling in for a guy of Embiid’s caliber, but Bradley is not doing that. He is staying within himself he is helping the team in a big way.

“We stay on him about falling in love with your role and being great at your role and doing it every night, and he’s doing that,” Rivers finished. “More importantly, just his work, man, I think he’s lost 20 pounds since the beginning of camp. He works after every practice after every game. I’m very happy for him. We forget how young he is too. I do at times even. I’m sure you guys do as well.”

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 observations: Tobias Harris, Sixers avoid collapse, hold off Warriors

Tobias Harris and the Philadelphia 76ers were able to hold off the Golden State Warriors on the road.

The Philadelphia 76ers were looking to continue their winning ways on the road as they took a trip to The Bay to take on the Golden State Warriors. They got off to a terrific start building a lead as large as 24 as they got into the paint consistently, but then, they had a collapse.

Their rather large lead actually turned into a deficit as they trailed by five entering the fourth quarter due to Golden State scoring 40 points in the third. Thanks to the leadership of Tobias Harris and a better defensive effort in the fourth, the Sixers were able to avoid a collapse and win the game 108-98.

Harris had an all-around game for the Sixers with 25 points, 13 rebounds, and four assists, Ben Simmons had 22 points and eight rebounds, Tony Bradley was huge with 18 points and 11 rebounds, Shake Milton added 13 points, Furkan Korkmaz had 12 points, and Danny Green added 11.

Here are the three observations after this one:

Sixers big man Tony Bradley praises Joel Embiid for being so helpful

Young Philadelphia 76ers big man Tony Bradley credits Joel Embiid for being so helpful for him.

Philadelphia 76ers big man Joel Embiid has been out since March 12 due to a bone bruise he suffered in his left knee, and the Sixers plan on being cautious with him since they want him ready for the playoffs in May and June.

With Embiid out, the Sixers have turned to young Tony Bradley to start in his place. Bradley is not going to put up Embiid-type numbers. He is averaging 4.8 points and 7.0 rebounds in five games as a starter, but he continues to do solid things out on the floor, and he looks like he can hold down the fort in Embiid’s absence.

While the MVP candidate is out, he has helped Bradley settle in.

“Jo definitely, whatever he sees on the court, he’s helping me out,” said Bradley. “Different things defensively, offensively, setting screens, just being in the right spot. Whatever he sees and feels like he needs to tell me, he’ll definitely tell me and let me know. So he’s been helpful.”

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Embiid has continued to step up in the leadership department whether it’s with his play on the floor or by taking guys under his wing off the floor. This is all a good thing for him and the team, really. The Sixers need to feel his presence even when he is not playing.

“They talk a lot which is nice,” said coach Doc Rivers. “I encourage all our positional players to talk to each other and share wisdom. I know Joel and Tony have come very close and that relationship is good, especially now that Tony is playing the minutes that Joel is watching and seeing a lot. I love that Joel watches every game and focuses and sends texts and he’s very involved in the games. That’s a good thing for us.”

Embiid and Bradley’s relationship has definitely evolved. The MVP even said the team needs to build around Bradley after a recent strong performance.

Philadelphia will continue to try and win games despite missing the big fella when they head to the Bay Area to take on the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Tony Bradley discusses settling in as Sixers starting center amid injuries

Tony Bradley is settling as the new starting center of the Philadelphia 76ers at the moment.

When the Philadelphia 76ers found out that Joel Embiid would miss some time with a bone bruise in his left knee, they had to turn to somebody to start in his place. Instead of turning to veteran Dwight Howard, they decided to go to young and unproven Tony Bradley.

Bradley has since provided some really solid play night in and night out. On Saturday, he had 14 points and eight rebounds while also blocking a shot in a win over the Sacramento Kings.

It’s clear that he is continuing to settle in and get comfortable with his current position.

“I feel like the more I get the opportunity, the more I get into a rhythm of just what’s going on and the routine of things and then approach the game,” explained Bradley. “It’s been going pretty good.”

It also helps that he is on such a veteran team and a team that continues to push each other led by Tobias Harris as the veteran leader.

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“It’s awesome to go out there and play, see a guy like Tony Bradley play like he played today and the energy he played with, but that’s what it’s all about,” Harris explained. “It’s just that energy and just that cohesiveness as a team to push each other and to expect greatness out of one another.”

Bradley is obviously not going to be Embiid. He is not going to go out there and drop 50 while making it look easy. He is not going to knock down 3-pointers and he is not going to lead the team in scoring. What he is going to do is continue to be a solid influence on the floor.

“I don’t really see it as a big responsibility,” he explained. “I don’t put a lot of pressure on myself. I just try to go out there and leave it all on the floor. Every time I get an opportunity to play, just to play hard, bring energy and effort, and just try to, most importantly, help the team win any way I can.”

The Sixers will now need him to continue his strong play moving forward on the road trip.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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3 observations: Ben Simmons returns, Sixers rout Spurs at home

With Ben Simmons returning to the floor, the Philadelphia 76ers were able to rout the San Antonio Spurs at home.

The Philadelphia 76ers were returning home on Sunday to face the San Antonio Spurs with some good news and some bad news. The bad news is, obviously, the loss of Joel Embiid for a few weeks with his bone bruise. The good news is, Ben Simmons and 3,100 fans returned and the Sixers seemed to have a bounce in their step.

Philadelphia led by as many as 42 on their way to an easy 134-99 win at home. The Sixers were definitely energized by having some of their passionate fan base return to the Wells Fargo Center as they came out and held a 33-22 lead after one quarter.

Tobias Harris led Philadelphia with 23 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists, Seth Curry had 21 points, Danny Green had 16, and Simmons had 14 and nine assists in 26 minutes after missing two games due to the health and safety protocols. Furkan Korkmaz had 16 points, Dwight Howard had eight and eight rebounds, and Matisse Thybulle added 10.

Here are the observations in this one: