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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
Dec 23, 2016; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) against Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the 76ers 123-116. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

3. Philadelphia 76ers

Thanks to T.J. McConnell playing so well as the starting point guard, Nerlens Noel slowly reviving his value ahead of Jahlil Okafor, and the imminent return of point forward Ben Simmons, it’s unlikely the Philadelphia 76ers will be in the market for a high-profile point guard like Bledsoe.

However, if they stay within close enough range of a playoff spot, perhaps the Sixers will keep their eye on a potential gem like Bledsoe who could make them more competitive, form a dynamic duo alongside Joel Embiid and help accelerate “The Process” a bit.

The Suns should have no interest in trading for Jahlil Okafor and his defensive flaws, but if Philly is okay with clearing their center logjam by moving Noel instead, a Bledsoe trade would make some sense.

With Alex Len still being an enigma and heading for restricted free agency, the Suns could take an alternative path and go all in on the restricted free agency of a more defensively inclined big man. Noel is more injury-prone than Len, but his ceiling is also much higher at this point.

If McDonough could swindle the Sixers into giving up a future first-round pick as well, that’d be even more reassuring, since Noel’s injury history and regressive numbers this season (8.3 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 0.9 BPG in 18.0 MPG) don’t exactly make him a sure thing.

However, the Sixers would probably rather wait it out with McConnell and see how Simmons handles his point forward role, especially since trading Okafor should be the priority over trading Noel. Under that line of reasoning, including a future first-rounder would be borderline insanity for a player Philly might not actually want.