NBA free agency: Pistons trade for Avery Bradley, renounce rights to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope

One of the biggest questions facing the Detroit Pistons this offseason was what they would do with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. On Friday, they replaced him.

The Pistons traded forward Marcus Morris to Boston in exchange for guard Avery Bradley and a second-round draft pick in 2019. Bradley’s arrival gives the Pistons a replacement for Caldwell-Pope, who had been a restricted free agent. Detroit has now renounced the rights to Caldwell-Pope.

Bradley averaged 16.3 points a game last season for the Celtics, but Boston is adding All-Star forward Gordon Hayward and moving on from Bradley. Morris averaged 14 points for Detroit.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge released a statement thanking Bradley for his contributions.

“It’s no secret that Avery had been one of my favorite players,” Ainge said. “Avery did a lot of the dirty work and often didn’t get the recognition that he deserved, but our coaches, staff, his teammates, and our fans who watched him play every night appreciated what a special player and person he is.”

Bradley was the longest-tenured member of the Celtics, bridging the gap from the era of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that won the 2008 NBA title. Picked 19th overall in the 2010 draft, he developed into one of the league’s best defenders, making the All-Defensive second team in 2013 and first team in 2016.

Detroit, which missed the playoffs last year, can slot Bradley into the backcourt alongside point guard Reggie Jackson. Bradley, who turns 27 in November, is older than the 24-year-old Caldwell-Pope, but he’s also been a better shooter from three-point range, finishing at 39% last season.

The Pistons lose Morris, who has been a steady veteran and a mainstay in the starting lineup over the past two seasons. Detroit has another solid wing player in Tobias Harris, and the Pistons drafted sharp-shooting Duke guard Luke Kennard in the first round.

Boston, meanwhile, will look different from the team that was the top seed in the East in 2017 before being routed in the conference finals by Cleveland. Landing Hayward was a big step, and the Celtics took Duke’s Jayson Tatum with the No. 3 pick in the draft after trading down from No. 1. With Jaylen Brown — last year’s No. 3 pick — also in the fold, the Celtics look primed to contend for years to come, although the roster could keep changing.

In other NBA news:

-- Center Zaza Pachulia has agreed to a $3.5-million, one-year contract to stay with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, his agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. Golden State’s starter in a three-center rotation last season, the 33-year-old Pachulia averaged 5.1 points and 3.8 rebounds in 14.1 minutes during the postseason.

-- The Indiana Pacers have signed free agent Darren Collison. Terms of the deal were not released Friday amid reports it is a two-year contract worth $20 million. The point guard returns to a team he played for from 2010-12. Collison averaged 11.9 points and 5.0 in 139 games during his first stint with the Pacers. Since being taken with 21st overall pick in the 2009 NBA draft, Collison has career averages of 12.7 points and 4.8 assists. Also, the Washington Wizards renounced the rights to free agent Bojan Bogdanovic so he could agree to a two-year, $21-million deal with the Pacers.

-- The Cleveland Cavaliers have reportedly agreed to terms on a one-year, $2.3 million contract with free agent forward Jeff Green. Green’s deal is worth the veteran’s minimum, said the person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because Green hasn’t signed the contract. The 6-9 Green averaged 9.2 points and 3.1 rebounds for the Orlando Magic last season. He previously played for Oklahoma City, Boston, Memphis and the Clippers.

-- The Miami Heat have traded oft-injured forward Josh McRoberts to the Dallas Mavericks for center A.J. Hammons and a 2023 second-round draft pick. The move frees much-needed salary cap space for Miami, which owed McRoberts just over $6 million for next season. McRoberts was limited to 81 games with the Heat in the last three seasons. Hammons is set to make $1.3 million.

-- The Atlanta Hawks waived Jamal Crawford after agreeing to a buyout of his contract. The Hawks acquired the three-time sixth man of the year from the Clippers on Thursday in a three-team trade that included Denver. With the Hawks apparently entering a rebuilding era, Crawford will be able to sign with a contending team if he’s not claimed. The veteran guard had played in Atlanta from 2009-11 and was the league’s top sixth man in 2010.

-- The New York Knicks are trying to bring back Tim Hardaway Jr. The Knicks signed the guard to a four-year, $71 million offer sheet, agent Mark Bartelstein said. Hardaway is a restricted free agent, so the Atlanta Hawks will have two days to match the offer.

UPDATES:

7 p.m.: This article has been updated with news of the Atlanta Hawks releasing Jamal Crawford.

5:35 p.m.: This article has been updated with news of Zaza Pachulia’s and Jeff Green’s deals.

This article was originally published at 4:15 p.m.