LA Lakers claim Avery Bradley off waivers, finalize roster ahead of NBA opening night

The LA Lakers are bringing home a familiar face ahead of the 2021-22 NBA season.

Shams Charania of The Athletic has reported that the Lakers have claimed Avery Bradley off waivers. The 11-year veteran was recently just fighting for a spot on the Golden State Warriors team before being released in the final round of cuts.

This is not Bradley's first time sporting an LA Lakers uniform. He played 49 games for the franchise during the 2019-20 season.

It's a notable transaction for the Lakers, as they've been dealing with numerous injuries as the new season is set to begin.

Talen Horton-Tucker recently underwent surgery for a ligament in his thumb and is expected to be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Off-season acquisitions Kendrick Nunn and Malik Monk have also been on the team's injury report. Nunn is listed as questionable for the LA Lakers' game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Monk is listed as probable.

The Lakers are also expected to be without Wayne Ellington for the opener.

The LA Lakers should be happy to have Avery Bradley back in the mix

This means that the addition of Avery Bradley couldn't have come at a better time for this LA Lakers team.

Earlier in training camp, it was announced that Trevor Ariza would be out for at least eight weeks after undergoing surgery on his ankle. With Bradley now on board, the Lakers have some depth they can use in case of an emergency.

Bradley isn't the offensive threat that he was during his prime. However, he is still an intelligent and offensive-minded player who can also impress on the defensive side of the floor.

The injury bug is already starting to creep up for the LA Lakers ahead of the new season. While the team can deal with some of the rotation injuries to start the year, they will be hoping that this isn't the start of an ugly theme moving forward.

With the acquisition of Avery Bradley, the Lakers can at least have someone on the bench to help out if they find themselves in desperate times.