Point guard Eric Bledsoe made public his feelings known about his current status with the Phoenix Suns in a Sunday morning tweet.
I Dont wanna be here
— Eric Bledsoe (@EBled2) October 22, 2017
Bledsoe wants out of the dismal Suns who seem to be well on their way to being the worst team in the Western Conference this season. With the Suns pinned between a rock and a hard place, the Denver Nuggets need to maneuver a way to acquire Bledsoe.
Adding Bledsoe would be a big move for a Nuggets team looking to make the playoffs for the first time in four seasons.
The Nuggets are currently running with a rotation of Jamal Murray and Emmanuel Mudiay at point guard. Rolling the dice with two guards under the age of 22 is risky business for an already young team. Bledsoe, 27, would help round out Denver’s core while giving them a strong backcourt partner next to Gary Harris. A starting lineup of Bledsoe, Harris, Wilson Chandler, Paul Millsap, and Nikola Jokic would compete with most teams in the league on a nightly basis, boosting the Nuggets’ chances in the competitive Western Conference.
In addition, bringing in the tough Bledsoe would take pressure off Murray and allow him to season and refine his game while still having a prominent role in rotations. Bledsoe’s experience would help the team in all aspects, especially maturity. Time and time again, the Nuggets have failed to play a complete game, something Bledsoe would undoubtedly help fix.
Since joining the Suns, Bledsoe has grown tremendously as a player, averaging 18.8 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per contest. Another advantage is he’s under team control through next season at $29.5 million between this year and next, a bargain in today’s NBA for someone of his skill set.
The Nuggets and Suns were rumored to have discussed a trade centered around Emmanuel Mudiay and the No. 14 pick for Bledsoe on draft night, but nothing came of the rumor.
It seemed that interest was mutual at one point, and it now is once again, with Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders reporting that the two have been in trade discussions surrounding Mudiay and other pieces for Bledsoe.
Other pieces could potentially include Kenneth Faried whose name has been dropped in trade rumors numerous times over the years. Other potential candidates include youngsters Juancho Hernangomez and Malik Beasley.
Aside from acquiring Bledsoe, the potential trade would allow the Nuggets to mark off two question marks on their roster.
Mudiay, the former 7th overall pick, has been underwhelming since being drafted in 2015. While he still does have potential, a change of scenery could be best for him. With Murray penciled as the future at point guard now might be the best chance Denver has to move on.
The situation surrounding The Manimal is a frustrating one. His skill set best suits the Denver off the bench, but he continues to remain firm that he believes he deserves to be a starter. With questions on both sides, Faried and the Nuggets are ultimately heading towards a breakup. Like Mudiay, Faried is off to a hot start to the season which will help boost his stock.
Bledsoe tends to be overshadowed in a Western Conference stacked with point guards, but he would slide in nicely with Denver’s open system and would benefit from their pool of talent.
Opportunities to acquire someone with the experience and potential of Bledsoe are few and far between. In previous instances, the Nuggets have been unwilling to pay the steep trade price it takes to acquire superstar talent in the league. While Bledsoe is not a game-changing talent, he can still be a difference maker for the Nuggets and can be acquired for a reasonable price.