Eric Bledsoe isn’t rumored to be on the trade block, but if the Phoenix Suns decide to aid their youth movement by dealing their most valuable asset, which teams should pick up the phone?
In his best NBA season yet, it’d be almost cruel for the Phoenix Suns to trade Eric Bledsoe. If not for the team’s 16-35 record (worst in the Western Conference), he would have garnered All-Star consideration.
It makes sense there have been no indications that general manager Ryan McDonough plans on trading his best player anytime soon.
However, Bledsoe’s superstar play this season has boosted his league-wide value to all-time highs, and with the Suns poised to dive headfirst into a youth movement revolving around Devin Booker (20 years old), Marquese Chriss (19) and Dragan Bender (19), the 27-year-old Bledsoe might be of more use to the Suns as a trade chip since he’s on a different timeline.
He and Booker have developed some nice chemistry over the last few months, and trading a player averaging a career-high 21.4 points, a career-high 6.2 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game doesn’t sound like a smart decision for a franchise that will be missing the playoffs for its seventh straight season this year.
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That being said, Bledsoe deserves to play for an actual playoff team and there are plenty of other teams who might be willing to surrender covetable assets — like young players or future draft picks to aid the Suns’ rebuild — for a top-10 point guard.
Though he has an extensive injury history, Bledsoe is in his prime and has stayed perfectly healthy this season — giving Phoenix another reason to consider moving him before his myriad of knee problems possibly rear their ugly heads again.
More than likely, McDonough will try to move veterans like P.J. Tucker, Tyson Chandler or Brandon Knight over Bledsoe, but if the Suns do decide to cash in on their most valuable trade chip, which teams might be interested? Here’s a look at 10 teams that might trade for Bledsoe, what those deals might look like and why they might fail to materialize.