UNC Basketball: Pair of former Tar Heel bigs traded

Two former UNC basketball bigs have found new homes in the NBA.

A number of former Tar Heels were on the move mid-week, including a pair of standout centers, as Wednesday marked professional basketball’s biggest offseason event, the 2020 NBA Draft.

First, it was Utah’s Tony Bradley who found a new home in the NBA. The Jazz shipped him off to the Detroit Pistons on draft night for future considerations and cash. Utah also gained a second round pick in the trade, one that was used to draft Vanderbilt point guard Saben Lee with the 38th overall selection.

Bradley, 22, has one year and $3.5 million remaining on his current contract. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game in 58 appearances for the Jazz last season. He shot a career-best 66.7 percent from the floor, and 65.2 percent from the free throw line. Despite his frequent usage during the 2019-20 season, however, Bradley played in just 12 games for the Jazz the prior two seasons, averaging 4.4 points and 4.2 rebounds over the three-year stretch since being drafted 28th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017.

On Wednesday, the New York Knicks acquired another former Utah center, Ed Davis, and a pair of 2023 second round picks in exchange for agreeing to pay the remaining $5 million on his contract. It’s unknown at this point whether or not the Knicks will hold on to Davis, or cut him prior to the start of the 2020-21 season.

The 31-year-old Davis struggled with a series of nagging injuries last season, and averaged just 1.8 points and 3.8 rebounds per game for the Jazz. He played in just 28 games, and logged less than 11 minutes per contest, while shooting a career-worst 47.8 percent from the floor. Despite his lack of production, though, Davis is still considered a good leader and an excellent locker room presence.

For more on former UNC basketball players in the NBA, check back with Keeping It Heel.