With the signing of All-Star big man Al Horford in July, the Celtics put an end to the myth that top NBA free agents would not come to Boston. Several Celtics players helped recruit Horford with their active involvement in the process. A sizable contingent of players — including Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart and Kelly Olynyk — attended pitch meetings with top free-agent targets such as Horford and Kevin Durant after both hit the open market last month.

One piece of the team’s core who was notably absent at pitch meetings during free agency was Avery Bradley. While speaking at a Celtics and Arbella Insurance home court makeover unveiling event on Monday, the shooting guard explained his decision to stay on the sidelines during much of the process.


“I didn’t [recruit] that much,” Bradley said when asked by reporters about his attempts to recruit Durant. “Me and Kevin are like brothers so we talk all the time. So I’m not going to talk to him about that, you know what I mean? I was more asking him how he’s doing. I was actually with him a week before all that stuff went down at a camp in Austin [Texas], so I really wasn’t that much involved. I was more worried about myself, just getting healthy and making sure I was continuing to work out.”

Bradley and Durant both played basketball at the University of Texas. Even though their stints with the Longhorns were separated by a few seasons, they have developed a strong bond. While the 25-year-old would have loved Durant as a teammate in the NBA, he remains supportive of the All-Star’s decision to sign with Golden State.

“All I can say is that I’m happy for him, and I feel like he’s part of a great organization. And I wish the best for him. Kevin’s a really good guy and an even better player,” he said.

While the Celtics fell short in landing Durant, Bradley was not surprised that the team was able to add to the roster in a big way with Horford.


“To be honest, even though some people would say this is a tough place to come to obviously, I think if I were a player, I would want to come here. With all the history and fans, that alone would make me want to come here. I can’t speak for all the other guys in the NBA, but I wasn’t surprised at all that [Horford] would want to come here.

“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of an organization like this, with a coach like we have, and the type of guys that we have? Seeing how we are just growing every single year, improving every single year, I feel like every player would want to be a part of a process like this.”