Eric Bledsoe (Photo : REUTERS)
More NBA trade rumors emerge concerning the Philadelphia 76ers. Teams have legitimate interest in both Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor.
The Phoenix Suns have two starting guards and it was always assumed that Eric Bledsoe is the main man for them moving forward and Brandon Knight would be the one to go. However, the Suns have a lot of holes to fill in their roster and Bledsoe is the piece that yields the bigger return.
For the Philadelphia 76ers, the main rumor is that they need to trade their centers for guards but it's not really that cut-and-dry and the reality is that senior adviser Jerry Colangelo is open to a number of possibilities, as he shared with ESPN radio's Russillo and Kanell (h/t Liberty Ballers)
"One thing that is certain, this is not a team that is set and looking to fill a need," Colangelo said. "This is much more than that. On one hand, it's an easier fix, by that I mean there's so much to do that you can just kind of, it's not a matter of picking a spot, there are a lot of spots to address."
This is the rationale behind a trade proposed by Dan Favale of Bleacher Report where the Sixers should trade their assets not necessarily to address any position but to acquire a "franchise cornerstone." However, if there's a chance to get the best of both worlds, why not?
Eric Bledsoe is a combo guard as opposed to a pass-first traditional playmaker and with the Sixers currently lacking talent, he is a player they should pursue. The trade bait in the scenario is Nerlens Noel, but Favale involves the Chicago Bulls because the Suns already have Tyson Chandler.
The Bulls would receive Nerlens Noel and replace their aging centers, Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. The Sixers get Bledsoe, and for the Suns, their rebuilding continues with this package.
"The Suns receive: PF Richaun Holmes, SF/PF Doug McDermott, Sacramento Kings' 2017 top-10 protected first-round pick (via Chicago), Los Angeles Lakers' 2017 top-three protected first-round pick (via Philadelphia)."
Quite a haul for Bledsoe but the premise is that the Lakers would probably improve this year with their no.2 pick and possibly free agents-which would drastically reduce the value of their 2017 pick. Holmes needs to go as the Sixers will likely pick Simmons.
Instead of taking Noel directly, the Suns take Doug McDermott and a possible late lottery-mid first round pick.
On the surface, the Suns are giving out the best player in the transaction with no star returning. Given that they're rebuilding though, they should consider the quantity of the haul and the long-term value.
