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10 NBA Teams That Should Trade For Eric Bledsoe

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 5, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 5, 2017; Dallas, TX, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) brings the ball up court against the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /
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Eric Bledsoe
Jan 14, 2017; Mexico City, MEXICO; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) in the first half during the NBA game at the Mexico City Arena. Mandatory Credit: JosŽ MŽndez/EFE via USA TODAY Sports /

9. San Antonio Spurs

For a team with the second-best record in the NBA, the old “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” adage comes to mind. The San Antonio Spurs could stand perfectly still at the trade deadline and still be one of the three main threats to win the 2017 NBA Finals.

But with Tony Parker being 34, at some point the Spurs are going to have to find a successor for the point guard spot, and it has to be one who’s ready to keep San Antonio in the contender category for Kawhi Leonard‘s prime and what’s left of LaMarcus Aldridge‘s.

The Spurs might not be able to afford to keep Patty Mills when he hits free agency this summer, and though rookie Dejounte Murray shows a ton of promise, he won’t be ready to lead a championship-caliber team anytime soon. Enter Eric Bledsoe, the perfect transition from TP to the next era of Spurs basketball.

Pau Gasol has put up decent enough numbers at age 36, averaging 11.7 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game on 46.5 percent shooting from three-point range, but the Spurs are much better defensively when he’s not on the floor and he’ll probably be a free agent this summer.

They haven’t missed him during his ongoing eight-game absence with a broken finger, and rather than stay content with being second-best in the West, a move for a two-way player like Bledsoe could really launch San Antonio into the same otherworldly orbit as the Warriors.

For the Suns, they’d be getting a great veteran presence for the youngsters until he inevitably split in free agency, but the real prize would come in the form of the future first round pick. The Spurs, meanwhile, would get one of the most athletic players in the league who would benefit from Gregg Popovich’s tutelage and help San Antonio remain in the contender category long after Aldridge’s prime.

However, the Spurs may prefer to ride it out with their depth and see if Kawhi Leonard can do MVP-caliber things in the playoffs. They may try to re-sign Mills as their Parker successor, and the Suns may ask for too much if they pushed for two first-rounders, given the fact that San Antonio’s picks are always in the late-20s due to their sustained success.