Phoenix Suns: 10 potential Eric Bledsoe trades

3. New York Knicks

The New York Knicks are one of a few major teams who have already been linked to Bledsoe, as ESPN‘s Ian Begley first reported:

Since Kristaps Porzingis is obviously nowhere near being a part of this conversation, the Suns have wisely centered around Willy Hernangomez and rookie Frank Ntilikina:

Unfortunately, even the Knicks were smart enough to resist sending away two of their three possible franchise pillars as the team tries to rebuild with youth. Bledsoe would be great for Ntilikina to learn from, but if the Knicks aren’t giving him up, it’s hard to see what kind of trade package they could come up with that wouldn’t involve a third party.

Since both Ntilikina and Hernangomez are currently off limits, the Suns would have to do something to change their minds. Offering to take on Joakim Noah‘s salary might be one way, especially if Troy Daniels were attached:

Noah still has three years and $55.6 million left on his contract, which would be a heavy blow to Phoenix’s future cap space. On a roster that already has Chandler, Len, Bender and Chriss in the frontcourt, Noah would also serve very little purpose (as has been the case the last few years, when he’s actually been on the court).

However, if jettisoning Noah’s deal is worth it for the Knicks, that might be the price to pay in order to acquire a combo guard with a defensive skill-set like Ntilikina. Nagging injuries and Jeff Hornacek have prevented us from seeing what he can do just yet, but he’s worth taking a flier on as Phoenix’s next franchise point guard.

If that doesn’t work, perhaps subbing in Hernangomez would be suitable for both parties:

However, as underrated as Hernangomez might be, he’d be joining that same center logjam of Chandler, Len and Noah. None of those save Len have any shot at being the team’s long-term center, but that’s quite a few 5s to manage until McDonough could move one of them.

It’s also worth mentioning that Hernangomez might not be a good enough return for Bledsoe with Noah’s albatross of a contract factored in.

As such, a more reasonable offer might be taking Courtney Lee‘s deal off the books to clear the way for Tim Hardaway Jr.’s opportunities.

Lee is still owed $36.8 million over the next three years, but he’d be a solid defender behind Booker, would add another veteran voice to the locker room and might be enough to help Phoenix snag Hernangomez (though probably not Ntilikina).

If this doesn’t work for both sides, the Suns could make their offer louder by throwing in this year’s Miami pick in an attempt to snag both Ntilikina and Hernangomez.

However, the Knicks might be more inclined to see what they have with their rookie before shipping him away unceremoniously for Bledsoe and a pick that probably won’t be in the lottery.

Unless the Suns are absolutely certain they want Ntilikina and Hernangomez, taking on Noah’s contract or offering an extra first round pick might not be worth it, and even then, the Knicks still might not budge.