Utah Jazz Fill Final Roster Spot With Familiar Face at Center

The Utah Jazz have finally filled their last traditional roster spot just a few days out from the regular season.

And it turns out, they'll be bringing in a familiar face in the frontcourt who was actually a former first round pick in Utah a few years ago.

According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the Jazz are claiming veteran center Tony Bradley off of waivers.

The Utah Jazz have claimed center Tony Bradley off free agency waivers, sources tell ESPN. Bradley was the Jazz's No. 28 pick in 2017 and now returns where he spent his first 3 NBA seasons.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 17, 2026

Bradley had been on the New York Knicks' roster throughout the course of training camp and preseason as someone to compete for one of the final spots on the reigning world champions.

However, as roster cuts have ensued throughout the league, the Knicks decided to go in a different direction from Bradley, and thus sent him to waivers to give him an opportunity to find a new home elsewhere.

And it turns out, that new home for Bradley will be the place that he spent the first three years of his career in back in Salt Lake City.

What Tony Bradley Brings to the Table

Bradley has been in the league for the past eight seasons since he was a first-round pick selected by the Jazz back in 2018 at 28th overall.

And throughout Bradley's extended time in the league that now arrives at year nine, he's been a part of several different teams.

While his first three years were with the Jazz, he's molded himself into a bit of a journeyman center to have played with the Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Atlanta Hawks.

Oct 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks center Tony Bradley (18) runs up court during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

And it was last season for Bradley, where he played 41 games split between the Pacers and the Hawks. He averaged around 11 minutes a game between both of those stints, averaging 4.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.5 assists in the process.

At 6-foot-10, 248 pounds, he's a bit on the smaller side for your average NBA center. However, he's clearly developed himself into a pretty consistent rotational big man over the last few years, and will continue to get a chance to showcase that in Utah for a second time.

How Tony Bradley Changes Jazz's Big Man Rotation

The Jazz likely brought Bradley into the mix for their traditional roster due to the questions their big man depth is facing entering the season.

Utah was able to see Kyle Filipowski make his preseason debut on Friday against the Phoenix Suns after missing the last three showings while still rehabbing from his offseason back surgery.

Yet, the Jazz are still due to be without Jusuf Nurkic for the first few weeks of the regular season due to a foot injury suffered in their first preseason game.

Without Nurkic, the Jazz's primary center options then became a combination of Filipowski, Jaxson Hayes, Mo Bamba, and in certain lineups, Jaren Jackson Jr. It's a serviceable group, but could utilize another body down the roster to offer some extra size and depth in a pinch.

Bradley is someone who can do just that––likely not as someone who will be in the nightly rotation, but is a tenured veteran around the league proven to be a rotational big when necessary, but still well worthy of an NBA roster spot.

So now, that means the Jazz's roster looks pretty solidified heading into the regular season. They've got each of their 15 traditional roster spots sorted out, have all three of their two-way deals alongside them, and look all but complete just days away from their opener against the Memphis Grizzlies next week.

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