Three Bledsoe trades that work for both sides
— -- Will the Phoenix Suns get value for Eric Bledsoe?
After Bledsoe cryptically tweeted, "I Don't wanna be here," on Sunday, Suns GM Ryan McDonough told reporters Monday that he plans to discuss trading the apparently unhappy point guard and said Bledsoe "won't be with us going forward." ?
As ESPN's Bobby Marks notes, this early in the season is an unusual time for trades, and the pressure to move Bledsoe now gives Phoenix little leverage in negotiations. So can the Suns find a deal that gives them enough in return for a player on one of the league's better contracts, or have they already squandered his trade value?
Let's take a look at three realistic options, plus why several other?interested teams may not be able to put together a deal that satisfies Phoenix's needs.
Potential suitor 1: Denver Nuggets
Suns get: Guard Emmanuel Mudiay and forward Kenneth Faried
Nuggets get: Bledsoe
See this trade in the ESPN trade machine
Denver is the most logical Bledsoe destination by a wide margin. After signing Paul Millsap as a free agent this summer, the Nuggets are hoping to return to the playoffs for the first time since firing George Karl in 2013. Denver's weakest position is point guard, where Jamal Murray has star potential but has struggled in two games as a starter since the Nuggets unexpectedly waived veteran Jameer Nelson. Because Bledsoe could play with Murray or supplant him as a starter, Bledsoe would be an ideal bridge point guard to help Denver win now.
The Nuggets could offer Phoenix a handful of young prospects, with Mudiay -- who would be pushed out of the rotation by Bledsoe's arrival -- the easiest to let go. Though he hasn't been much better than Murray early in the season, Mudiay played well in the preseason and is two years removed from being the No. 7 pick of the 2015 draft. At 21, Mudiay would have a chance to develop at his own speed with the Suns' young talent.
Denver would have to send back additional salary to match Bledsoe's, with Faried the obvious candidate. Faried wants a bigger role than he has had with the Nuggets, and including him would allow Denver to shed some salary next season -- important with Gary Harris' extension kicking in. Given a fresh start in Phoenix, Faried could have some value, though he also would compete with young big men Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss for playing time.
This package, without any draft picks included on the Nuggets' end, is probably the bare minimum any other offer would have to beat.
Potential suitor 2: Orlando Magic
Suns get: Guards D.J. Augustin, Mario Hezonja and Elfrid Payton
Magic get: Bledsoe and guard Troy Daniels
See this trade in the ESPN trade machine
It's unclear whether Orlando would really be interested in swapping point guards with Phoenix, but such a deal would make some sense for both sides. The Magic would get a better shooter and more experienced player at point guard who could help them make a run at a playoff spot. If Orlando's new front office isn't sold on Payton as the team's answer at point guard, not having to make a decision on him as a restricted free agent next summer might also be a bonus.
The Magic could offer the Suns a couple of interesting young prospects. Despite his poor shooting, Payton has been a triple-double threat at times. At 23, he still has plenty of development ahead of him. And Hezonja was the No. 5 pick in 2015, so despite his ineffective first two seasons in the NBA there's still a chance that Phoenix could unlock his talent as a scorer.
The Suns would have to take on a bad contract in Augustin, who is signed through 2019-20 at $7.25 million a year. He's the only option to match salary until Shelvin Mack becomes eligible to be traded on Dec. 15. The fact that players signed as free agents this summer cannot yet be traded is among the challenges the Suns face in making a fair deal for Bledsoe.
Potential suitor 3: Cleveland Cavaliers
Suns get: Guard Iman Shumpert, center Ante Zizic, protected 2021 first-round pick
Cavaliers get: Bledsoe
See this trade in the ESPN trade machine
Bledsoe has long been linked to Cleveland because he's represented by Klutch Sports Management, which represents LeBron James, but Bledsoe also would fit well with the Cavaliers. Derrick Rose's sprained ankle has exposed how thin Cleveland is at point guard while Isaiah Thomas is sidelined by a hip injury. In any event, Bledsoe is a better fit than Thomas defensively to match up with the Golden State Warriors in a possible NBA Finals rematch.
While the Cavaliers have to think about a possible future without LeBron James, parting with Zizic and a first-round pick is reasonable to maximize their chances of winning a championship with James, and Bledsoe would still have some value as an expiring contract next summer if Cleveland wanted to move on. This incarnation of a trade would cost the Cavaliers in terms of luxury tax, however. It's possible a larger deal could be worked out that would send Channing Frye back to Phoenix and bring Troy Daniels to Cleveland with Bledsoe.
The bigger question, of course, is whether the Suns would prefer a deal that doesn't bring them any young point guard in return. They'd have to really like Zizic -- or wing Cedi Osman, who could be the young player in the trade instead -- to choose Cleveland as a partner.
Other possible suitors
Detroit Pistons: Bledsoe would be a great fit in Detroit, but realistically the only way a trade makes sense is if Phoenix is willing to do a challenge trade of Bledsoe for Reggie Jackson. That seems unlikely.
LA Clippers: Bledsoe could fit well with the team that drafted him. However, nearly all the salaries the Clippers could offer in return are in the form of rotation pieces, and their young talent doesn't seem likely to be appealing to the Suns.
Milwaukee Bucks: It makes sense that the Bucks have shown interest in Bledsoe, as reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times. Bledsoe's defensive versatility would fit perfectly in Milwaukee's system. The problem is that unless the Bucks are willing to give up Greg Monroe, all their other matching salaries ( Matthew Dellavedova, John Henson and Mirza Teletovic) would be unpalatable for Phoenix. So Milwaukee would probably have to offer multiple first-round picks to compete with the other possible suitors.
New York Knicks: Bledsoe could serve as a bridge to rookie Frank Ntilikina in New York. But if the Knicks are unwilling to deal Ntilikina or Willy Hernangomez, as ESPN's Ian Begley notes, there's not much else of interest on their roster.
Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers are an intriguing wild card if they see Bledsoe as a long-term starting option. That said, they'd surely have to add a first-round pick to an offer of Jerryd Bayless and Jahlil Okafor to compete in terms of value. So?Philadelphia will more likely wait out free agency next summer, when the 76ers could add a 3-and-D guard without giving up a pick in return.