Bradshaw (27), who has inked a one-year deal, is the first Tall Black to sign for the Nuggets since hometown favourite Mark Dickel returned for a season in 2003.
His signature is a major coup for a franchise that has struggled to recruit marquee players, and it gives the team instant credibility.
A Tall Black since 2004, Bradshaw had a brief stint with Wellington in the National Basketball League before embarking on a stellar career at Winthrop University in the United States.
He also impressed during his debut season with the Brisbane Bullets in the Australian Basketball League in 2008 and had a stint with Turkish Euroleague club Efes Pilsen.
Bradshaw filled the giant void left when Sean Marks and Ed Book retired from international basketball.
The 2.05m athlete has an intoxicating mix of skills.
He is never afraid to put his lean frame on the line, he is strong rebounder and he is capable of shooting from the outside.
"We're absolutely thrilled," Basketball Otago general manager Markham Brown said yesterday.
"We were really impressed by his character when he came down. He's a modest, quietly spoken guy but very focused. I've always been impressed when I've watched him on TV and have thought 'this guy plays the game hard'."
Bradshaw and partner Felicity Kenny made the trip down from Auckland two weeks ago to have a look at the facilities and see what Dunedin had to offer.
Bradshaw's older brother, Steven Bradshaw, played for the Nuggets in 2005 and had spoken kindly of the lifestyle down here, and the couple were impressed with the city and what the franchise was able to offer.
Bradshaw was the type of player a team could build a roster around, Brown said.
"There were a couple of games last year where, if we just had someone we could really go to for a couple of clutch buckets, it would have got us across the line.
"Bradshaw can go outside but we really want him to be a strong man inside for us.
Now we just have to find the right players to fit in around him.
"I wouldn't rule out getting another big man beside him so we have a couple of options there in tandem. Then perhaps the likes of a Tyler [Amaya], who had to do it all on his own last year. His name has been thrown around again."
Nuggets forward Tom Rowe and point guard James Ross have also re-signed, and coach Alf Arlidge has also put pen to paper.
A couple of days ago, the Nuggets had just one player - Sam To'omata - on their books, but they have moved quickly to get some commitments before the Christmas break.
Brown said he was not prepared to disclose what Bradshaw would be paid but said players of his calibre did not come cheap and it would not have been possible without the help of major naming sponsor Oceana Gold.
"We are pretty happy with the agreement we've reached with him. It does not mean we won't be able to afford to get anyone else. We just have to sit down and put the rest of the pieces together, which we hope to complete by mid-January."
Bradshaw could not be reached for comment yesterday but Arlidge said he expected he would make an enormous difference to the team.
"It is huge for the franchise," Arlidge said.
"By bringing him in, we've got a guy who will give us some size in the front court, which we were lacking last year. And the knowledge he can pass on to the likes of Tom Rowe and Matt Trueman will be invaluable.
"And that is important, because we're not trying to buy a team - we're trying to build a team around our young guys."
