Jazz hire former first-round pick as VP of player development

The Jazz have hired Avery Bradley, announcing in a press release that he will assume the role of vice president of player development.

According to the team, Bradley’s role will involve evaluating personnel and “guiding the collaboration” between the locker room, front office and coaching staff.

“When you get the opportunity to bring in someone with the wealth of experience and insight that Avery has, it’s always an exciting addition,” Jazz general manager Justin Zanik said in a statement. “He’ll bring an important perspective working with our team as well as our coaches and players as we move forward in our ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.”

A former NBA guard, Bradley was the 19th overall pick in the 2010 draft. He spent his first seven NBA season with the Celtics, then bounced around the league for several years, spending time with the Pistons, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Heat, Rockets, and Lakers (again) from 2017-22.

The 33-year-old never officially announced his retirement as a player, but hasn’t been on an NBA roster since becoming a free agent in July 2022 and hasn’t competed in any other leagues during that time.

Bradley earned a pair of All-Defensive nods over the course of his 12-year NBA career, including a spot on the First Team in 2016. He was also technically a member of the Lakers team that won a championship in 2020, though he opted out of the Disney World bubble that year and wasn’t with the club during its postseason run.