Los Angeles Clippers: Was Eric Bledsoe Trade A Mistake?

By Brenton Lillie | Oct 25, 2014

Sep 29, 2014; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe poses for a portrait during media day at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

In a nationally televised preseason game against fellow Pacific Division resident Phoenix, Suns starting point guard Eric Bledsoe went off, scoring 27 points in a narrow loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul played even better, generating 34 points of his own, along with nine assists and four steals. Clearly, at this stage Paul is still better than his former protege. However, with their struggles at small forward and backup point guard, its worth considering whether the Clippers were right in trading Bledsoe.

In return for Bledsoe, Los Angeles received Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick. Redick has clearly been a positive. His shooting and smart team defense have helped immensely. Dudley was not as productive last year, possibly due to injury, and was subsequently shipped off to the Milwaukee Bucks in the offseason.

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The Clippers also gave away a second-round pick in the original Bledsoe deal, and in the subsequent Dudley trade, they gave up a protected first-rounder, although they got back the previously dealt second-round pick.

So, in the end, the Clippers traded promising point guard Eric Bledsoe and a protected first-round selection for a year of an injured Dudley and a free agent who they probably could have signed outright in Redick. It does not look like a good move in hindsight.

There are other considerations, as well. The signing of Spencer Hawes put the Clippers into the unenviable position of having a hard salary cap, as part of the new collective bargaining agreement.

This means the Clippers have very little wiggle room to sign bench players, and it is why they had to waive Carlos Delfino, who came from the Bucks in the deal that sent away Dudley and the first round draft pick.

They are now more than $2 million past the luxury tax line, and so far over the salary cap that getting sizable cap room in the next two years, even counting on the cap increasing, is nearly impossible without dealing one of their big names.

Since Bledsoe just signed a huge five-year, $72 million deal with the Suns, it is likely he would never have been able to re-sign with the Clippers. However, given that his value is currently sky high, it is hard to imagine the Clippers being unable to trade Bledsoe for more than one year of a marginally productive player like Dudley, while also giving away a draft pick.

Imagine, for a second, the Clippers had traded Bledsoe to New Orleans, instead of the Philadelphia 76ers trading Jrue Holiday, and had received the No. 5 pick in the 2013 NBA draft, eventually used to select Nerlens Noel.

It is possible the Clippers would have their center of the future in Noel on the roster, giving them the ability to trade DeAndre Jordan and relieving them of $11 million in salary. That potential savings could have supplied Los Angeles with the ability to upgrade at the small forward position, and perhaps the backup point guard spot.

Imagine the Clippers running out someone like Luol Deng, Thaddeus Young, or C.J. Miles instead of Barnes.

In the ultra-competitive Western Conference, contending teams need to look for any way to gain an edge, no matter how slight. Moving from a poor shooting emotional roller coaster like Barnes to a professional sharp shooting wing player would undoubtedly push the Clippers toward the NBA Finals.

Instead, one bad decision might relegate Los Angeles to perennial pretender, much like past conference powers that could never make it over the hump. This Clippers team, fun as they are, could get lumped into the same group as the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns, the Chris Webber-led Sacramento Kings, and the Scottie Pippen-led Portland Trail Blazers.

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