Phoenix Suns: 5 bold predictions for 2017-18 NBA season
2. The Suns trade Eric Bledsoe and/or Tyson Chandler
The Phoenix Suns don’t have to trade anyone, and they need as many veteran presences in the locker room as possible for the rebuild. Tyson Chandler certainly provides that and is still surprisingly serviceable as he nears his 35th birthday, while Eric Bledsoe deserves better after committing to this team and being a consistent star during this tumultuous period.
However, both are entirely expendable in the wake of a rebuild, especially since their trade value may never be as high as it is right now.
Bledsoe’s name frequently came up in Kyrie Irving trade rumors as one of the best possible point guards the Cleveland Cavaliers could hope to get back on the open market. Those hypothetical trades never amounted to anything, but Bledsoe’s name has popped up in trade rumors for years now.
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Though general manager Ryan McDonough has remained adamant about Bledsoe being safe in Phoenix, it would make sense to trade him now, especially if they can get a young point guard or future draft asset to use on one.
Bled is coming off a career year in which he stayed healthy and averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. Given his injury history and his age (he’ll turn 28 in December), what’s left of his prime doesn’t coincide with Phoenix’s rebuild project.
Though he loves playing for the Suns, it’d be best for both parties to move Bledsoe for whatever assets they can get now, while also allowing their starting point guard to move on to a more competitive squad. He’s also Phoenix’s most movable veteran, and every day he remains there, the Suns run the risk of his knees giving out again and the opportunity to net an asset being blown.
As for Chandler, he won’t be fetching the Suns much on the trade market, but a team in need of rebounding, rim protection, experience or frontcourt depth could give him a look as the trade deadline approaches.
The fact that he only has two seasons left on his contract also makes him a more plausible trade candidate than last year, when he asked to stay in Phoenix. Chandler loves his young teammates, but said he’d take the summer to contemplate his future in Phoenix, stating he’d prefer the front office added some established veterans in free agency. They did no such thing.
If the Suns are smart, they’ll take what they can get for Bledsoe before he runs the risk of getting hurt again, and they’ll look to move Chandler as the trade deadline approaches.