The Raptors drafted a guard in the second round for the third year in a row. They picked Jamal Shead in 2024, Alijah Martin last year, and Jaden Bradley this year.
Bradley’s Summer League stint with the Raptors got off to a slow start. He put up 3 points on 1-9 shooting from the field, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 turnovers in his first game. He still struggled to find the bottom of the net against the Rockets, finishing with 2 points on 1-3 shooting from the field, 1 rebound, 1 assist, and 3 turnovers.
Chucky Hepburn was out in the third game, allowing Bradley to step into a bigger role. He responded with 15 points on 5-11 shooting from the field and 5-7 from the free-throw line, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers. While the turnovers are still an issue, he looked much more comfortable than in his first two games.
Summer League coach Ivo Simonic said after the game, “Everybody needs different time to adjust a little bit to new team, new basketball, and new habits. Obviously, amazing college player. We know that he can close the games. We know that he can play defense. We know that he’s a really good leader, and he showed all that today.”
However, Bradley’s fourth game was a bit rough again. He finished with 4 points on 1-4 shooting from the field, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block as well as four turnovers.
Bradley is currently signed to a two-way contract and would benefit from time in the G League. When he is with the Raptors, he should also benefit from being around Jamal Shead. After all, Shead went from a second-round pick to a key contributor for a competitive team, which is exactly what Bradley is striving to become in the NBA. The Raptors don’t need Bradley to be a big contributor immediately, but if they can get a quality backup out of their second round pick a few seasons down the line, it will be a win.
Shead and Bradley have a lot in common
Shead was the 45th pick in 2024 after four years of college basketball in Houston and a senior season that featured Big 12 Player of the Year, Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, Naismith Defensive Player of the Year, and Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors.
Bradley didn’t clean up quite as many awards this year, but he was also named Big 12 Player of the Year and received Big 12 All-Defensive Team honors in his final season at Arizona. The two even share an NBA comp in their NBA draft profiles. Both were likened to Tre Jones.
Shead landed a three-year fully guaranteed rookie contract right out of the gate instead of signing a two-way deal to start his career, but he did spend some time with the Raptors 905 in his rookie season. He didn’t always play a ton of NBA minutes to start the season before he eventually landed a bigger role when the Raptors traded Davion Mitchell to the Heat.
A season later, he averaged the third-most minutes on a playoff team—not because that’s where the Raptors wanted him, but because Immanuel Quickley suffered an injury and Shead was ready to step up as a passer and defensive playmaker.
Bradley should be able to learn a lot from a young defensive-minded guard who went from being a second-round pick to carving out a nice role for himself in the NBA.
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