NBA Trade Rumors: Latest Rumblings on Eric Bledsoe, DeAndre Jordan and More
For a number of reasons, the days and weeks just after the NBA draft can be one of the wildest and most unpredictable times of the year-round rumor mill involving trades and headline-producing news.
Now that teams with high lottery picks from last week's draft have gotten somewhat of a blueprint for their futures, they can enter free agency on July 1 with a more conceivable plan for which in-house players could be dealt and which available free agents could be swayed to join.
It's a time of the NBA offseason that sees unlikely marriages form and once-concrete partnerships float away in the summer breeze.
Some of the league's marquee names are mulling a change of scenery, or in some cases, their team is mulling it for them. Take a look below at the latest rumors flying around.
DeAndre Jordan Sweepstakes Heat Up
The 2014-15 offseason has always been the target time for DeAndre Jordan to entertain his options and possibly leave the Los Angeles Clippers for another team as he gets ready to enter unrestricted free agency.
And from the early rumblings, the Clippers have their work cut out for them.
A team has emerged as the biggest potential threat to lure Jordan away from the Clips, and it's a somewhat surprising destination. ESPN's Tim MacMahon reported on Monday that the Dallas Mavericks are "widely considered the likeliest team" to persuade Jordan to leave his post with the Clippers.
MacMahon also reported that two other teams are expected to meet with Jordan in free agency—the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.
The latter is making a serious push to entice Jordan to switch locker rooms at the Staples Center. Kobe Bryant is making an individual push, calling Jordan personally, per Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
Of course, the Lakers have their frontcourt wide open after picking D'Angelo Russell in favor of big man Jahlil Okafor in the draft.
The Mavericks may need to make some things work in order to bring in Jordan, including a potential sign-and-trade of unrestricted free agent Tyson Chandler, per Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:
With the Mavericks, Lakers, Knicks and potentially others positioning themselves for a run at the prized center in the coming days, the Clippers aren't about to concede their star without a fight. Turner reported on Monday that the Clippers have already had dinner with Jordan recently in Malibu, and actor Jamie Foxx joined the proceedings.
Jordan has an enviable spot already in L.A., where he has settled in magnificently alongside Blake Griffin and Chris Paul to form arguably the league's best three-player grouping.
However, he's also pretty anchored down in his role there and could find more of a central role in another location.
Eric Bledsoe Out of Phoenix?
The Phoenix Suns' far-reaching moves at the trade deadline last season—dealing Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas—seemed to open up the backcourt once again for Eric Bledsoe. But they also brought in another former Kentucky star in Brandon Knight, and their desire to pay him a big deal could send Bledsoe packing.
Gery Woelfel of the Journal-Times reported just after the draft that the Suns and Knight were on the verge of signing a five-year deal worth $70 million.
Where does that leave Bledsoe? Probably on the outside looking in, as ESPN's Marc Stein reported:
It's nonetheless surprising that the Suns are so intent on signing a long-term deal for Knight, a player who just recently joined Phoenix and had an up-and-down second half of the season with them in 2014-15. If they're that intent on locking down Knight, what does that say about Bledsoe?
Well, not anything that indicates a long marriage in Phoenix. Bledsoe signed the multiyear extension that he long coveted prior to the 2014-15 season, but it's hard to see the Suns rolling with two max-contract players at virtually the same position.
If the latest rumblings around Phoenix are any indication, the Suns are likely going to have just one of their two touted former Kentucky guards on the roster for the regular-season opener.
Market for Deron Williams?
The gradual decline of Deron Williams with the Brooklyn Nets has put their salary cap in an even worse position, but they could be looking for a quick resolution before the 2015-16 season kicks off.
Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young both opted out of their contracts, but both are expected to stay with Brooklyn, according to ESPN's Stein and Mike Mazzeo. But the Nets aren't as interested in holding on to their star point guard, as ESPN's Ohm Youngmisuk noted Brooklyn's efforts:
The 31-year-old has shown flashes of the player who was one of the league's premier point guards with the Utah Jazz in his time with the Nets, but he has never truly played at a level worthy of his massive salary.
That feeling has become apparent within the organization, as head coach Lionel Hollins had the following to say about Williams after the postseason.
"He's not a franchise player anymore," Hollins told Mazzeo. "He's a good player, he's a solid player, but I don't think he's a franchise player anymore. That's just my opinion."
The Nets' efforts to field a top-dollar team with Williams, Joe Johnson, Lopez and at one point Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have simply blown up in their face. The only way Brooklyn will get back to prominence is to shave off some of its cap issues by getting rid of the players causing said problems.
Moving Williams would undoubtedly be a step in that direction.
