ESPN: Five game-changing NBA draft trades we'd love to see

[SacTownKid]

I think we might be the only two that feel this way.

I would be OK with Teague but a fit Bledsoe is just a much better player.

Yeah, they'd both be good additions, I just think Bledsoe might be a little easier to deal for considering the Suns are locked up at PG and SG right now.

 

[kingsboi]

I'd prefer going after Bledsoe rather than Teague. It would be a risk, but Bledsoe and Cuz are already close and Bledsoe can get it done on both ends when healthy.

You just cannot rely on Bledsoe to stay healthy. Teague is the more reliable player. I don't think the drop off between Bledsoe and Teague is as big as people want to believe.

 

[206Fan]

ATL is a Playoff team. Collison is a top backup PG who can start in a pinch. Whoever is picked at #8 may not even play.

This time of year us Fans start valuing draft picks way beyond reality.

So why would Atlanta trade a top 15PG for a bench backup PG? They don't need Kofus. They have Tiago Splitter. So you downgrade your PG position, and add in a fringe starting SG?

That's a terrible deal for Atlanta. I'm not overvaluing the draft pick... I bet you there is NO team in the NBA who would trade a lotto pick for Collison.

 

[SacTownKid]

You just cannot rely on Bledsoe to stay healthy. Teague is the more reliable player. I don't think the drop off between Bledsoe and Teague is as big as people want to believe.

I don't know if it's about drop off as much as a difference in athletic ability. Bledsoe is off the charts athletic. Or he was anyway. I don't know if the injuries will start taking their toll.

 

[Entity]

Teague/collison/curry
Sefolosha/bellinelli
Gay/barns/casspi
Anderson/Acy
Cousins/WCS

Sign me up. Put Gay and Bellinelli on the block for big upgrade at sg or sf in a 2 for 1

 

[kingsboi]

I don't know if it's about drop off as much as a difference in athletic ability. Bledsoe is off the charts athletic. Or he was anyway. I don't know if the injuries will start taking their toll.

considering that he's had left knee surgery and a sprained right knee injury all in a span of under two years is concerning. I have no reason to believe that injuries will shorten his career IMO.

 

[twslam07]

considering that he's had left knee surgery and a sprained right knee injury all in a span of under two years is concerning. I have no reason to believe that injuries will shorten his career IMO.

Meniscus tears really shouldn't affect his athleticism if he rehabs correctly considering a meniscus is there to soften impact so it's not bone on bone (rather than tendons which help with cutting, etc.). It looks like he repaired the torn piece instead of clipping it out considering the recovery time was over 4 months (clipping it out takes like a month) which means he shouldn't be as prone to arthritis later down the road.

Even considering his injuries, I'd rather have Bledsoe over Teague.

1. He's two year younger
2. He's better on both sides of the floor
3. He's good friends with Cousins
4. He's locked up for 3 more years (Teague could just walk next year)
5. His contract under the new cap will be equivalent to around $10mil/year under the old CBA (which is the amount a quality starter or great sixth man will make) meaning we can afford to grab another player for injury insurance.
6. He gives us a very good #2 scorer which can give us the flexibility of moving Gay

 

[funkykingston]

I doubt this is a highly credible source and they don't have anything in the way of solid info, but here's an article claiming that the Suns want Kris Dunn and would trade Bledsoe to the Sixers or Kings both to make room for Dunn and because Bledsoe reportedly wants out.

http://en.yibada.com/articles/13311...enix-suns-eric-bledsoe-sixers-kings-draft.htm

Don't know that the Suns would be interested but I'd trade Rudy Gay straight up for Bledsoe.

Bledsoe
Casspi
Cauley-Stein
Cousins

is a starting lineup that's a solid 3&D shooting guard away from competing. With $27.5 million in cap room and the #8 pick that should be addressed.

 

[Padrino]

I doubt this is a highly credible source and they don't have anything in the way of solid info, but here's an article claiming that the Suns want Kris Dunn and would trade Bledsoe to the Sixers or Kings both to make room for Dunn and because Bledsoe reportedly wants out.

http://en.yibada.com/articles/13311...enix-suns-eric-bledsoe-sixers-kings-draft.htm

Don't know that the Suns would be interested but I'd trade Rudy Gay straight up for Bledsoe.

Bledsoe
Casspi
Cauley-Stein
Cousins

is a starting lineup that's a solid 3&D shooting guard away from competing. With $27.5 million in cap room and the #8 pick that should be addressed.

the kings aren't likely to make a splash in free agency, and this draft looks unlikely to deliver the kings a player who can make an impact early, so i'm of the opinion that, as always, this team is going to have to take some risks if short-term improvement/reaching the playoffs as soon as possible is the goal. if the kings can manage a trade for the oft-injured bledsoe without giving up WCS, then i'd be all for it. i'd even consider a trade that includes the 8th pick, depending on the rest of the terms. the chance that bledsoe manages to stay healthy is certainly no worse than the chance that the 8th pick in this particular draft ends up even half as good as bledsoe is when he's healthy. he's still only 26, so he'll slot right in with demarcus' developmental timeline...

 

[funkykingston]

the kings aren't likely to make a splash in free agency, and this draft looks unlikely to deliver the kings a player who can make an impact early, so i'm of the opinion that, as always, this team is going to have to take some risks if short-term improvement/reaching the playoffs as soon as possible is the goal. if the kings can manage a trade for the oft-injured bledsoe without giving up WCS, then i'd be all for it. i'd even consider a trade that includes the 8th pick, depending on the rest of the terms. the chance that bledsoe manages to stay healthy is certainly no worse than the chance that the 8th pick in this particular draft ends up even half as good as bledsoe is when he's healthy. he's still only 26, so he'll slot right in with demarcus' developmental timeline...

The 8th pick is definitely a trade piece since it seems very unlikely that Kris Dunn will fall to 8 (he may not make it past three or four at this point) but with the Suns already having a relatively young core and three first rounders this year I think the likely deal (again, if they have any interest in Gay) is Rudy + #8 for Bledsoe and #13 & #28. Or just Rudy for Bledsoe straight up.

I'd take that gamble.

 

[LPKingsFan]

I doubt this is a highly credible source and they don't have anything in the way of solid info, but here's an article claiming that the Suns want Kris Dunn and would trade Bledsoe to the Sixers or Kings both to make room for Dunn and because Bledsoe reportedly wants out.

http://en.yibada.com/articles/13311...enix-suns-eric-bledsoe-sixers-kings-draft.htm

Don't know that the Suns would be interested but I'd trade Rudy Gay straight up for Bledsoe.

Bledsoe
Casspi
Cauley-Stein
Cousins

is a starting lineup that's a solid 3&D shooting guard away from competing. With $27.5 million in cap room and the #8 pick that should be addressed.

That article also speculates (or quotes NBAdraft.net as speculating, which is like five degrees of separation from any credibility, but I digress) that Bledsoe's agent (also LeBron's agent) may try to engineer a trade to the Cavs. I could see Bledsoe and Tucker for Love happening.

That said, wouldn't hurt for Vlade to make the call, and I agree, would be nice to get 13 back (and get Luwawu, or, even better, Baldwin).

 

[twslam07]

Reports are that the Spurs are trying to move up as well. I'd try to get Danny Green from them as it was rumored he might be the one they use to trade up.

Trade #1
Phoenix Gets: #8
Phoenix Gives: Eric Bledsoe
Why for Phoenix? They have a young nucleus that they should be building around. Moving Bledsoe for a top 10 pick frees them up to draft Dunn as well as have a shot at a guy like Bender or Chriss at #8 to put next to Len.

Sacramento Gets: Eric Bledsoe
Sacramento Gives: #8
Why for Sacramento? Win now move that helps sure up their PG situation considering Collison's issues and gives them a better #2 scorer than Gay. Health is obviously a concern.

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Trade #2
Boston Gets: Rudy Gay & Ben McLemore
Boston Gives: #16
Why for Boston? Gives them an additional scorer that can fill out their perimeter rotation (Thomas/Smart/Bradley/Crowder/Gay) while also picking up a prospect in McLemore who gives them better guard depth in case of injury/foul trouble. I would also like to see McLemore develop under a guy like Stevens who should be able to tap into his defensive potential.

Sacramento Gets: Danny Green & Patty Mills
Sacramento Gives: Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, & Kosta Koufos
Why for Sacramento? Gives the Kings a solid starting SG who can defend and hit from 3. Also gives them a decent backup PG in case Bledsoe misses time due to injury.

San Antonio Gets: #16 & Kosta Koufos
San Antonio Gives: Danny Green & Patty Mills
Why for San Antonio? Move Green in an effort to move up to take a player they like (rumored). Also , if Duncan retires, Koufos gives them a cheap replacement who complements Aldridge's offense well.

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At this point, the Kings would have around $24.5 mil in cap space. Sign Solomon Hill for $32 mil/4 years, Ryan Anderson for $44 mil/3 years, & Cole Aldrich for $11 mil/3 years. Then sign Quincy Acy to the room exception, match Curry's offer sheet, & sign Matt Barnes to the minimum.

PG - Bledsoe/Mills/Collison
SG - Green/Curry/Belinelli
SF - Casspi/Hill/Barnes/Butler
PF - Cauley-Stein/Anderson/Acy
C - Cousins/Aldrich

I can't think up a much better offseason for us...