NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Possible Eric Bledsoe, Malcolm Brogdon Trade and More
For the Phoenix Suns, it's not a matter of "if" Eric Bledsoe will be traded, it's a matter of "when."
It's also a matter of overvaluation.
While there's a litany of teams interested in Bledsoe, their offers have fallen short, leaving many to believe that maybe the Suns are asking for too much in return for their disgruntled star playmaker.
One of the interested teams is the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Bucks want Bledsoe, who would be an upgrade at the point guard position, but they aren't exactly on the same page as the Suns on who to trade in return.
If Phoenix has its way, Milwaukee would ship Malcolm Brogdon and either John Henson or Mirza Teletovic in return for its combo guard, per Gery Woelfel of Woelfel's Press Box:
"The scuttlebutt is, if the Suns got their way, they’d acquire Brogdon and either veteran big man John Henson or former Suns forward Mirza Teletovic.
"But sources claim the Bucks are somewhat reluctant to trade Brogdon, whose all-around game, unselfishness and maturity have meshed nicely with Antetokounmpo and Middleton.
"But sources said the Bucks are, at least for now, dangling veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova, who started 54 games last season and averaged 7.6 points and 4.7 assists, instead of Brogdon. The Suns are balking and appear adamant on wanting Brogdon."
Unless the Bucks are willing to part with the reigning Rookie of the Year, they may be out of the Bledsoe sweepstakes.
Brogdon, who is having a strong sophomore season averaging 15.8 points per game, isn't the only young point guard Phoenix has its sights on. The Suns are also interested in the Denver Nuggets' Emmanuel Mudiay, who has been moved to the bench behind Jamal Murray.
Boston granted $8.4M disabled player exception for loss of Gordon Hayward
There's no denying that Oct. 17 was the worst day in the 2017-18 season for the Boston Celtics with the loss of Gordon Hayward for the year, so now the NBA is doing its best to help make the team whole with a $8.4 million disabled player exception, league sources told Shams Charania of The Vertical.
The exception, which expires on March 10, is worth $8.4 million. The Celtics can use it to fill the void left by Hayward. They can sign a player to a one-year contract or pick up a player who is in the last season of his deal within that salary range.
Hayward, who fractured his left ankle in the season-opening loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on a failed alley-oop attempt, had surgery last week to repair the ankle and left tibia.
With Hayward sidelined, Boston has been resilient, rallying for a 4-2 season record, good for second in the Eastern Conference standings.
Rookie Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have both stepped up, averaging 15.2 and 15 points per game, respectively. The tandem is also pulling down a combined 12.5 rebounds per contest.
