Eric Bledsoe no longer wants to be in Phoenix. The guard tweeted that he no longer wanted to play for the Suns. Could the Brooklyn Nets make a move for him?
With Eric Bledsoe wanting to leave Phoenix, the guard could go anywhere in the NBA. While the Brooklyn Nets have a good backcourt in D’Angelo Russell and Allen Crabbe, they could use Bledsoe’s star power. Bledsoe might not be a fan, since he probably would rather play on a team that could win the NBA Finals, but his future is still unclear.
I Dont wanna be here
— Eric Bledsoe (@EBled2) October 22, 2017
The power to trade rests in the hands of the Phoenix Suns. Bledsoe does not have a no trade clause so his say does not matter. While the Suns could end their professional relationship with him on a friendly note, they will likely try and get the best asset possible.
So that bears the question: what is Bledsoe worth? Not much if you consider the Carmelo Anthony trade. Much like Anthony, Bledsoe is disgruntled. While the Suns would likely love to have him stay, Bledsoe clearly doesn’t want to be there.
It also does not help that the team sent him home and told him not to play in Monday’s night game.
With that in mind, Bledsoe could go for very cheap. Maybe even as cheap as an albatross contract and a draft pick.
This is where Brooklyn comes in. The team has a good guard rotation, but needs star power —especially with Jeremy Lin gone for the season. Bledsoe in black-and-silver makes for a very pretty picture.
So who do the Nets trade? There are a couple options on the table. They could give the Suns a very good offensive player in Crabbe. His three-point shooting paired with Devin Booker’s would be deadly and the Suns would probably love that.
But that’s not how general manager Sean Marks operates. He looks for the best deal for the Nets.
That brings us to option No. Two. The Nets trade Timofey Mozgov. Although it has only been three games, the center has not brought much value, if any. He has consistently underperformed and rookie Jarrett Allen is taking his job sooner than later.
“But there’s no depth at center,” you cry. With Allen performing well and the Nets playing small, head coach Kenny Atkinson can circumvent problems with depth.
Will the Suns take that? Probably not. Marks would need to throw in something to sweeten the deal. This is where he has to make a decision. The Nets finally have their own draft pick. But would a rookie next season make more sense than a fringe-All-Star now, especially considering Lin is edging closer to 30?
The trade makes a ton of sense and if the Suns are not getting offers, Marks would be hard-pressed not to present them with Mozgov.