The Milwaukee Bucks just stole Eric Bledsoe

Through perennial dysfunction, the Phoenix Suns put themselves in an impossible situation. The Milwaukee Bucks capitalized and stole Eric Bledsoe.

It’s been over two weeks since Eric Bledsoe’s ill-timed tweet. See, the whole situation really was rather innocent. According to Bledsoe, when he tweeted “I Dont wanna be here,” he was merely laboring through a trip to a hair salon. Perfectly believable, right?

Phoenix Suns general manager Ryan McDonough didn’t buy Bledsoe’s tale.

Perhaps a bit of context will clear things up. The Suns, now 4-7, were 0-3 at the time. A slow start to be sure, but nothing too troubling for a team that had exceedingly low expectations coming into the season.

How many times have you heard that all wins and losses look the same in the standings? I’ve never been a believer in that. Moral victories are real; they can elevate a team. Conversely, moral losses are real too, and the 0-3 Suns had endured a few. Through three games, they had been outscored by a remarkable 92 points. The team was directionless and in desperate need of change; Bledsoe was not oblivious to that.

Whether he was privy to what would happen next at the time of his fateful tweet is unknown, but if I had to speculate, I’d guess that it’s no coincidence that ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski dropped this bomb one hour and eight minutes after Bledsoe’s tweet:

You see where McDonough was coming from?

Embroiled in chaos — a normal state for one of the NBA’s most dysfunctional franchises over the last seven years — McDonough and the Suns were then tasked with finding a new home for the disgruntled star.

The market for Bledsoe was due to be tame for a multitude of reasons. Chief among those being that the market for point guards is inherently limited, as most teams are relatively set at the position, and that Bledsoe’s public trade demand had eliminated Phoenix’s leverage.

The Milwaukee Bucks recognized opportunity’s distinctive knock immediately:

It took some time, and Bucks fans had to survive persistent rumors of potentially destructive deals involving reigning Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, but Tuesday morning, Woj dropped another bomb:

As details began to emerge, one thing became clear: the Bucks had committed robbery in broad daylight. The Bucks got Bledsoe, sending sixth man Greg Monroe and unconventionally protected first and second round draft picks in 2018.

Bledsoe put up averages of 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game last year on 56.3 percent true shooting last year. Outside of Phoenix’s toxic environment, he’ll likely have the will to return to his former ways as an imposing defender, too. He has two years remaining on his contract at just $14.5 and $15 million.

The Bucks committed robbery, especially if the team’s upward trajectory continues to devalue the protections on the pick:

Milwaukee’s two most used lineups, the two starting lineups they’ve deployed, have been very productive, outscoring teams by 3.2 and 23.9 points per 100 possessions. Meanwhile, the Bucks (unsurprisingly) crater with Giannis Antetokounmpo off the floor. Their offense has been 10.3 points per 100 possessions worse when Giannis has taken to the bench, which led to me to the following conclusion while watching a game a last week:

Outside of Giannis, the Bucks really had no one (healthy) who could penetrate off the dribble or create any semblance of efficient offense for himself or others. I thought Jabari Parker would have to fill that role. Bucks general manager John Horst thought otherwise.

Bledsoe is adept at creating penetration off the dribble, pressuring the defense. In 2016-17, he was ninth in the NBA in drives per game at 10.3. Among the 12 players who drove at least 10 times per game, Bledsoe had the fourth-highest field goal percentage at 53.4 percent, but despite his efficiency, passed out of drives fourth-most as well. He’s unpredictable and unselfish, a deadly combination.

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Bledsoe’s greatest weakness is his shooting. A career 33.4 percent shooter from deep, he’s far from the marksman you’d want alongside Giannis. But, if Bucks coach Jason Kidd is smart enough to stagger Giannis and Bledsoe’s minutes, the effects of this weakness will be minimized, and the Bucks’ bench offense will likely be salvaged.

Positive as it is, the addition of Bledsoe creates one major question: who joins Bledsoe, Giannis, and Khris Middleton in the starting lineup? Early assumptions seem to be that Brogdon and one of John Henson or Thon Maker will join the core trio, pushing sharpshooter Tony Snell to the bench.

However, I would urge that Kidd consider a slightly less obvious solution. Snell benefits immensely from playing alongside dynamic talent. He’ll be maximized by remaining in the starting lineup. Meanwhile, Brogdon is far more capable of getting offense for himself, regardless of surrounding talent.

The Bucks can maximize both the starting lineup and the bench by rolling Snell and Maker out alongside the core trio. Bledsoe should then be subbed out early for Brogdon, surrounding Giannis with shooters. When Giannis comes out late in the first quarter, Bledsoe should replace him, ensuring that the Bucks have a capable creator on the floor at all times.

Next: NBA Trade Grades - Suns moving Eric Bledsoe to Bucks

Acquiring Eric Bledsoe was a no-brainer for the Milwaukee Bucks. The cost was minimal (they even got rid of an ill-fitting piece in Monroe), and he fills the Bucks’ most pressing need of secondary creation behind Giannis. And while Bledsoe does bring some question marks with him, some shrewd management of rotations will allow the Bucks to become a dominant team for all 48 minutes.