Report: Avery Bradley officially opts out of deal with Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers will need to address their backcourt ahead of next season, with guard Avery Bradley now officially a free agent.

Bradley was rumored to be considering opting out of his deal with the Lakers and chose to make that decision on Thursday ahead of the deadline.

Along with Bradley opting out of the final year of his contract with the Lakers, the team decided to part ways with Quinn Cook on Thursday and saw JaVale McGee opt into his deal for next season.

If the Lakers can’t work out a deal with Bradley, it could prove to be a costly loss for the reigning NBA champions. Bradley is without a doubt the team’s best perimeter defender and won’t be easy to replace even with the addition of Dennis Schroder.

Much like Rajon Rondo, Bradley will seek to secure his future beyond next season while cashing out on the team’s success.

It remains to be seen whether these two veterans will get what they are asking for in free agency as they are both somewhat injury prone and no longer in the prime of their careers.