The Chicago Bulls have had their fair share of success with UNC alumni in the past, and now two more will be fighting for a spot on the team.
The Bulls announced that Sterling Manley, who played at UNC from 2017 through 2021, will play on their Summer League team. They also reportedly signed Tony Bradley, who played the 2016-17 season in Chapel Hill, to a one-year contract at the league veterans’ minimum on Wednesday.
Bradley averaged 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game during his one season in Chapel Hill and played 18 minutes in the 2017 national championship game victory over Gonzaga, where he scored five points.
After declaring for that year’s NBA Draft, Bradley was selected 28th overall by the Los Angeles Lakers before his rights were traded to the Utah Jazz, where he played three seasons. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers and Oklahoma City Thunder last season.
Manley announced he would be entering the transfer portal after the Tar Heels’ season ended in March, graduated from UNC in May, then announced in July he would be forgoing his remaining college eligibility and pursuing a career in the NBA. He had previously been considering transferring to the University of Minnesota.
“The biggest thing for me was playing basketball again,” Manley told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune. “I don’t know what the future holds and what the next step is, but I know right now I’m having fun and getting better at basketball.”
Despite a promising freshman season in which he played in 37 games and averaged 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest, injuries hampered Manley’s progress throughout the rest of his time in Chapel Hill. He only played in 21 games over the next 3 seasons, including missing all of the 2019-20 campaign.
Manley did finish his time at Carolina with a flourish, capping a blowout win over Duke with an alley-oop dunk and a massive block in the waning seconds.
He will try to complete his NBA dream when the Bulls begin Summer League competition against the New Orleans Pelicans on August 9.
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