The Utah Jazz has filled its final traditional roster spot for the upcoming regular season by signing veteran center Tony Bradley, according to a report published October 17. The move provides additional big man depth for the team as they prepare for their 82-game schedule.
Bradley joined the Jazz through a waiver pickup from the New York Knicks less than 48 hours after being cut by his previous team. This method of acquisition differs from a typical free agency signing, as it allows Utah to inherit the specific contract Bradley had signed with New York.
Because the original deal with the Knicks was non-guaranteed, the Jazz will instead be responsible for a per day cap hit for the duration of Bradley's stint on the roster, according to ESPN's Bobby Marks.
The non-guaranteed nature of the deal provides the Utah front office with significant flexibility. While the team appears to value Bradley as a piece for their 15-man roster, the contract structure allows the organization to move on from him later in the season if he is no longer considered a proper fit.
Bradley's contract will not become fully guaranteed unless he remains on the roster through the start of January.
The Jazz have been operating with a 14-man roster since trading Cody Williams and John Konchar to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Josh Green.
Currently, the team's frontcourt depth is being impacted by a foot injury to Jusuf Nurkic, which has kept him out of action for the past couple of weeks. The front office may look to steer in a different direction for the final roster spot once the frontcourt depth becomes healthier later in the season.
The Jazz have time to decide on the long-term implications of Bradley's contract before the season progresses further.
