The Pacers have forced Game 7 against the Thunder by getting production from all over the roster, roles aside.
That includes a player who wasn’t even on the team four months ago.
On March 1, the team signed Tony Bradley, a 27-year-old journeyman center, to a 10-day contract. He signed a second 10-day deal on March 13 and was later signed for the rest of the regular season.
And on Thursday, he was plus-seven in six minutes off the bench to give the Pacers an early lead in their 108–91 win over the Thunder. Bradley was also assessed a flagrant foul after a confrontation with Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein.
This year’s Finals marks the lowest combined payroll between two teams in years. Bradley has contributed to that statistic. He’s made just $330,000 this season off his 10-day contracts, according to Spotrac, which is less than the $514,346 his star teammate Tyrese Haliburton makes per regular-season game. He has a team option worth roughly $3 million for next season.
Teams tend to play tighter rotations in the playoffs than in the regular season because of the raised stakes, with coaches relying on more experienced players. But Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has led the team to the Finals by leaning on its depth and by going with unexpected lineups, which Bradley has played into. Before Thursday, Bradley had played in 14 regular-season games for Indiana and nine playoff games. But he’s a fast learner, which is why he’s the rare 10-day player to get run in the postseason.
“We like him as a player,” Carlisle said on March 13 after Bradley signed a second 10-day contract. “For a guy who is a third center, he is ideal right now. He’s been terrific. Smart. Great hands. Defensively, he has a really good feel for what we are doing here.”
Bradley played at North Carolina and won a national championship there in 2017 before he was selected 28th overall by the Lakers that June. He was traded to the Jazz on draft night and has played sparingly for five teams in seven seasons, including his stint with the Pacers.
He could have made more money in Europe, but decided to begin the season playing for the College Park Skyhawks in the G League, where most contracts pay around $40,500, in hopes of getting another shot at the NBA. He’s made roughly $13 million throughout his NBA career, which helped offset the pay cut he took in the G League.
Bradley started the season playing in empty arenas, flying commercial, and staying in three-star hotels—all part of the G League lifestyle. Now he’s ending the season in Game 7 of the NBA Finals after a bet on himself paid off for him and the Pacers.
