Phoenix Suns: 10 potential Eric Bledsoe trades
7. Philadelphia 76ers
Eric Bledsoe isn’t much of a pass-first point guard, but that’s not a problem for a team that’s hoping to make a playoff push and already has a point forward like the Philadelphia 76ers do. Bledsoe isn’t much of a 3-point shooter, but he’d function as a secondary playmaker, tenacious defender and jack-of-all-trades in Philly.
The problem is, working out a deal that doesn’t involve shipping off the unwanted Jahlil Okafor is tricky.
Bledsoe for Okafor straight up works financially and clears some cap space for the Suns, but with Alex Len playing so well right now, bringing another young center in need of minutes would send the wrong message as the Ukrainian plays out the 2017-18 season on his qualifying offer.
Okafor needs a better situation, but Len deserves one last chance to prove whether he can be a decent player in extended minutes. If the Suns could get the Sixers to throw in their unused sharpshooter, Furkan Korkmaz, then maybe they rethink turning such a deal down.
However, assuming Philadelphia wants to remain patient with their 20-year-old rookie from Turkey, we’re forced to shift to a bolder idea that will give Sixers fans everywhere an arrhythmia.
That’s right folks, we’re talking about Markelle Fultz.
Yes, this is a complete long shot. And yes, it would be a major mistake on Philly’s part to turn its back on this year’s No. 1 overall pick simply because of the bizarre discrepancy between Fultz’s party and the team’s training staff over what’s really going on with his shoulder injury.
HOWEVER. If there’s legitimate beef here, and Fultz and his camp feels like the situation is being handled improperly, and Ben Simmons shines as the team’s floor general, and Fultz continues to struggle/play through pain, and the Sixers REALLY want a playoff spot, and McDonough recognizes there’s an ever-so-slight window for him to throw some extra picks on the pile….
To be honest, both of those picks from the Miami Heat might not be enough for Philly, who enjoys stockpiling assets as much as anyone but is finally ready to compete now.
Unless the Sixers are legitimately concerned Fultz is going to be a bust (which no one should be at this point), a Heat pick that will likely fall in the teens or early 20s this year (top-seven protected) and an unprotected pick four years down the road won’t be very enticing.
To that end, the only way to really get the Sixers’ attention might be something like this:
The Suns may be 2-0 under interim head coach Jay Triano, but they’re still likely to be one of the worst teams in the NBA this year. That 2018 first round pick could land a top-five prospect in a draft class that’s loaded with talent in that range.
If the Suns feel like they’re going to miss out on Luka Doncic or Marvin Bagley III at the very top, and if Philadelphia has a brief moment of insanity where this suddenly awkward relationship with Fultz spirals into something more, McDonough would be mental to not at least try for the home run deal.
Okay Sixers fans, we made it through. You can stop burning my house down now.