Reports: Pistons interested in Suns’ Eric Bledsoe, dangle Reggie Jackson
Nov 2, 2017, 10:12 AM | Updated: 4:11 pm
Add the Detroit Pistons to the list of potential trade partners for the Phoenix Suns, who remain patient in searching for deals to unload point guard Eric Bledsoe.
Adding to a report from ESPN’s Mike Wise, the New York Times’ Marc Stein reported Thursday that the Pistons, with point guard Reggie Jackson on the trading block, are showing interest in acquiring the disgruntled point guard who was sent home by the Suns after tweeting “I Dont wanna be here.”
Stein adds that Phoenix’s interest “would surely depend on what the Pistons would attach” to Jackson.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski added the Suns hope a third team takes on Jackson’s contract, but one proposed deal has reportedly taken a hit.
RELATED: Suns will work to sign Mike James to long-term deal, McDonough says
In a report from Jake Fischer of Sports Illustrated, a proposed three-team deal between the Pistons, Suns and New Orleans Pelicans is now “dead.”
In that deal, Bledsoe would have reportedly gone to Detroit and Jackson would have been sent to New Orleans.
The Suns would have reportedly received the Pelicans’ 2018 first-round pick, Detroit’s 2019 first-round pick as the value for taking on New Orleans big men Alexis Ajinca and Omer Asik. Asik makes at least $10.5 million a season through 2019, with the last year of his contract for the 2019-2020 season not being guaranteed. Ajinca’s salary is $4.9 million this season and $5.2 million in the following year.
Assuming the Suns are eyeing the acquisition of a young player or a draft pick, Detroit’s roster features 21-year-old small forward Stanley Johnson, 21-year-old rookie shooting guard Luke Kennard and 20-year-old stretch forward Henry Ellenson.
The Pistons also own all of their upcoming first-round picks.
But here’s where the Suns’ reported unwillingness to take on Jackson’s contract comes from.
They and the Pistons could swap Bledsoe and Jackson straight up, but while Bledsoe’s contract ends after the 2018-19 season, Jackson’s runs through the 2019-20 season and grows to $18 million that year — Phoenix would be on the hook for nearly $33 million in 2019-20 to pay Jackson and fellow point guard Brandon Knight, who will miss 2017-18 with a torn ACL.
General manager Ryan McDonough told Burns & Gambo on 98.7 FM Arizona’s Sports Station that they would hope Knight could remain a part of their future once he recovers from his injury.
McDonough added he would like to reach a long-term agreement with point guard Mike James in the next month or so; James is on a two-way contract and is averaging 12.6 points and 4.0 assists per game this year.
That’s not even considering the play of point guard Tyler Ulis, who has averaged 10.2 points and 3.8 assists in backing up James over the 4-1 stretch since Phoenix’s firing of head coach Earl Watson.
The Suns have also been linked to the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets in Bledsoe trade talks. The Bucks have put point guard Matthew Dellavedova and one of Greg Monroe or John Henson on the table, according to Wise. Previous reports indicated the Suns put their foot down and wanted point guard Malcolm Brogdon involved in the deal.
Multiple reports, including one dating back to the day of the 2017 NBA Draft, have indicated the Suns and Nuggets have exchanged discussions over a deal that involves 21-year-old point guard Emmanuel Mudiay.
“Our stance is kind of the same,” McDonough told Burns & Gambo on Wednesday. “We’re willing to do a deal whenever the best offer presents. What we’re analyzing now: Are the offers on the board the best offers? Some of them are close.
“We have to debate that. As you guys know, our preference would be to trade Eric sooner rather than later.”
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