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5 NBA Teams That Should Consider Trading Their Best Player

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 27, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Sacramento Kings center center DeMarcus Cousins (15) dribbles the ball as Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2016; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Sacramento Kings center center DeMarcus Cousins (15) dribbles the ball as Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez (11) defends during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Andy Marlin-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 19, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) reacts after a score against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second half at Wells Fargo Center. The Philadelphia 76ers won 120-105. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Phoenix Suns — Eric Bledsoe

The Phoenix Suns‘ roster says they’re in rebuilding mode, but their allocation of minutes says otherwise. As the losses continue to pile up and common sense kicks in that this is a not a playoff team, general manager Ryan McDonough need to make the tough call to start trading veterans and send a message to head coach Earl Watson about where the franchise’s priorities lie.

There are plenty of useful veterans on this roster that could be used in a trade, but Phoenix’s most valuable asset is Eric Bledsoe. Trading away the best player on an 8-20 squad would make the Suns almost unbearable to watch, but it’s probably high time everyone accepted that Bledsoe is not this franchise’s long-term solution at the point guard spot.

Bledsoe is one of the league’s singularly gifted players, but his history of knee injuries is extensive, and even when he’s healthy, the focus and effort isn’t always there. On the nights where he’s feeling it and playing aggressive, he’s a top-10 point guard without question. Other nights, he’ll appear downright disengaged, and there are far too many defensive lapses for a player of his skill and athleticism.

Averaging 20.0 points, 5.3 assists and 5.3 rebounds per game, Bledsoe is having one of the best seasons of his career, but at age 27, he’s in serious danger of wasting away his entire prime on non-playoff teams that should be focused on rebuilding rather than straddling the line between keeping the vets happy and finding enough minutes for the youngsters.

It’s time to give Bledsoe the chance to show what he can do on a more competitive team, and there’s no question that trading him would net Phoenix its most attractive potential trade package, especially since his contract — $29.5 million through 2018-19 — is a bargain.

Trading Brandon Knight would obviously be preferable since he’s been a disaster off the bench, but with Knight sporting the league’s worst total point differential, that might not be a realistic scenario right now.

On a team with so much guard depth, including promising rookie point guard Tyler Ulis, the Suns would be brutal to watch, but they’d be fine in the long run, especially with another top-five pick coming their way in a talented 2017 NBA Draft class that includes several stud guards.

The Suns could swing Knight to the 1 and see if he could improve his trade value, keep getting Devin Booker touches at the 2, find playing time for Ulis off the bench, and not lose much in terms of distribution since they’re already the league’s worst assist team. For both parties, it’d be better for the Suns to find Eric Bledsoe a new home and fully dive into the rebuild.