NBA Trade Rumors: Rounding Up Buzz on Eric Bledsoe, DeMar DeRozan and More
Free agency steals the headlines when the floodgates open, but the period wouldn't be the same without trade rumors flying around to up the level of chaos.
Feel free to call it the most entertaining time of the year. The big dogs like LaMarcus Aldridge and DeAndre Jordan are on the open market making the rounds. Teams involved in those races and well outside of them are also working the trade phones.
Whether it's an attempt to clear salary-cap space, improve right away, build for the future or something else, there is no lack of trade rumblings as front offices use every available avenue.
.png?w=256)
Below, let's round up the latest offerings from the mill.
Lakers Scrambling for Space
They were thought to be one of the most active and important franchises on the open market, but the news has been anything but good surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers.
The most disturbing piece of news around the historic, rebuilding franchise? Things didn't go well at all for the team in its meeting with Aldridge, per ESPN.com.
Of course, the alleged whiff doesn't mean the Lakers are done and all hope is lost. As reported by Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Lakers continue to look for ways to clear cap space:
The phrase "significantly more salary-cap space" should raise an eyebrow or two with the team having seemingly missed on Aldridge.
Then again, the Lakers' desire to trade their way into more cap space could just be an attempt to compensate for Kobe Bryant's cap hit of $25 million for next season.
While the early returns are rough, it's clear the Lakers will continue to work the phones in the hopes that something comes to fruition. Should it, the tide of free agency may turn in their favor.
Raptors Trading Core?
Despite a 49-33 record last year and what looks like a growing young core, it sounds like the Toronto Raptors might dangle critical pieces on the trade market.
As a preface, this is what the good teams do—squash future problems in the present. It's how a franchise avoids scrambling around like the Lakers are right now.
With that idea in mind, it shouldn't come as a shock to find out the Raptors are considering moving on from a key piece, as Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun explains: "[General manager Masai] Ujiri also could swing a deal involving part of his core. Whispers continue to circulate that DeMar DeRozan’s camp will be after the new mid-max (a whopping $25.3 million) a year from now and there is no way the Raptors will be comfortable footing that bid."
It's clear Ujiri would like to shake things up a bit following the team's first-round playoff exit. After grabbing Delon Wright in the first round of the draft, it seems the team might be comfortable making DeRozan available.
Just 25 years old, DeRozan appeared in 60 games last year and averaged 20.1 points, 3.5 assists and 4.6 rebounds per game. He's apt to fetch the Raptors a nice price on the market, although whether it is worth breaking up his rapport with Kyle Lowry is a worthwhile question.
Either way, it doesn't sound like the Raptors want to sit on their hands in the coming weeks, so stay tuned.
Suns Ready to Move Eric Bledsoe?
Remember a time when the Phoenix Suns had too many talented guards, couldn't get them enough playing time and were willing to dangle them in trade talks?
Those times don't appear over, as crazy as it sounds.
The Suns just grabbed Kentucky's Devin Booker in the first round of the draft, then turned around and re-signed Brandon Knight, per Wojnarowski. Given the recent events, a major nugget from ESPN's Marc Stein now comes into play:
There are only so many minutes to go around in the desert. If the front office thinks Booker can start right out of the gates, then why not throw a guard who will have plenty of teams interested on the market?
After all, Bledsoe is 25 years old and just averaged 17 points, 6.1 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game last year. The hiccup, which may eliminate a few teams, is his contract, considering he's owed a minimum of $13.5 million in each of the next four seasons.
With Knight back on board and the team wanting to shed cap space, the Suns are one of the top franchises to watch.
The obvious roster imbalance remains, with the team needing help below the basket, but it's a narrative capable of changing in a hurry if the front office finds the right deal for Bledsoe.
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Offseason Moves for Every Team 👉")