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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
Nov 27, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) blocks the shot of Denver Nuggets guard Jameer Nelson (1) in the first half at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Nuggets defeated the Suns 118-114. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

8. Denver Nuggets

With Emmanuel Mudiay moving to the bench behind veteran Jameer Nelson, the point guard spot is hardly the Denver Nuggets‘ most stable position right now. As they attempt to batten down the hatches for a playoff push, trading for an All-Star caliber point guard would be something of a home run.

Bledsoe would be a massive upgrade over Nelson, and though the Suns probably wouldn’t want Mudiay as part of the deal (they can just take a new franchise point guard at the top of this year’s draft), that would allow Mudiay to continue coming off Denver’s bench and learn from one of the game’s top-10 point guards.

With Jusuf Nurkic‘s minutes dwindling and Bledsoe replacing Nelson, the biggest decision would be whether to sweeten the deal with rookie Jamal Murray or a future first round draft pick.

In the first scenario, Phoenix gets the promising 22-year-old Nurkic to either compete with a re-signed Alex Len for the starting center spot or replace him. With Nikola Jokic‘s emergence as one of the NBA’s rising unicorns, Nurkic has been on the trade block for weeks.

Nelson gives the young Suns’ locker room another mentor, particularly at the point guard spot for rookie Tyler Ulis and whichever young guard Phoenix takes near the top of this year’s draft.

And then there’s the 19-year-old Murray, whose 8.7 points per game don’t tell the whole story since he’s been very impressive whenever Gary Harris has been sidelined. A young backup for Devin Booker would be a great thing to have, bolstering Phoenix’s young core with two more players under 22 and a veteran to help guide them.

If parting with Murray is too much to bear for the Nuggets — especially with lingering doubts surrounding Mudiay — perhaps a future first round pick would seal the deal.

However, Denver’s most pressing need is for a stretch-4 who can help bolster the defense (Serge Ibaka trade rumors, anyone?). An upgrade at point guard would be great and Nurkic is expendable, but the Nuggets might not want to include Murray or a first-rounder too.