Eric Bledsoe Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Poll: Most Improved Player In The Pacific?

September 5th, 2013 at 10:38pm CST by Ryan Raroque

The spotlight in the Pacific Division will surely be on former Clipper reserve Eric Bledsoe, who will now headline Phoenix's backcourt next to another young talent in Goran Dragic. Bledsoe's numbers last season (8.5 PPG/3.1 APG/20.4 MPG) wouldn't seem very comparable to what will be expected of him in 2013/14, especially considering some of his standout performances when given more than 30 minutes of playing time: 23 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists in 38 minutes against the Celtics, 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in 37 minutes against the Rockets, 10 points, 10 assists, and six steals in 39 minutes against the Timberwolves, and a 27-point, 6 rebound, 6 steal, and 3-block performance in 41 minutes against the Magic to name a few. Now equipped with starter's minutes, it will be fascinating to see how the 6'1 guard will utilize his significantly increased role and responsibilities as a leader of a young team.

Keeping all this in mind, Bledsoe should undoubtedly be among the favorites within the whole league to have a breakout season. With that aside, it was unquestionably a summer of shakeups for the rest of the Pacific Division, as each of the other four teams will feature new key rotation players in 2013/14. Let's take a look at some of the other new faces looking to make a lasting impact on their respective clubs:

Marreese Speights, Warriors – The 6'10 power forward is entering his sixth year in the league and will be playing for his fourth NBA team after signing with Golden State this past July. Following a trade from Memphis to Cleveland halfway through last season, Speights averaged 10.2 PPG, 5.1 RPG, and 18.5 MPG in 39 games and one start for the Cavaliers. Although Sean Deveney of the Sporting News and NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper have reported that the team is currently expecting Andrew Bogut and David Lee to be healthy enough to play without limitation, head coach Mark Jackson could possibly rely on Speights for extended minutes on some nights in order to preserve some of his older frontcourt veterans.

Considering his production in a limited amount of minutes last season, the former Florida standout could prove to be one of the most important reserves on a playoff contender this year and may open some more eyes in the process.

Byron Mullens, Clippers – Fresh off of career highs in points, rebounds, and minutes last season with the Bobcats (10.8/6.4/26.9), it remains to be seen just how Mullens' minutes and role will be handled in Los Angeles. The 7'0 big man put together a flurry of attention-grabbing performances last season, averaging 12.9 PPG/8.2 RPG/33.0 MPG in November and 10.0/7.3/28.6 in December before being sidelined with an ankle injury. Following a 19-game absence, Mullens picked up where he left off, posting 14.6/7.9/32.1 in February.

Although his overall shooting percentages were less than desirable last season (.385/.317/.636), one thing to consider is the possible improvement in the quality of shot attempts as a by-product of playing with a superstar playmaker in Chris Paul and his solid distributing backup, Darren Collison. Byron's confidence in attempting perimeter shots is far from lacking, as nearly four of his 10.6 shot attempts per game last year were taken from beyond the arc. With that being said, Mullens may very well be a viable threat who can stretch the floor provided he can improve his shooting efficiency and have better opportunities created for him. If given the minutes, he's shown that he can definitely put up some numbers.

Wesley Johnson, Lakers – Despite his lack of floor time for the first four months of 2012/13, the 6'7 swingman made the most of his situation after being given consistent starter's minutes in the final two months of the season, averaging 13.2 PPG/1.2 SPG/30.3 MPG in March along with 12.9 PPG and 27.3 MPG in April respectively. He did well enough that despite the Suns opting not to exercise his fourth year option, there was still mutual interest in a return to Phoenix this summer. Ultimately, the former lottery pick out of Syracuse wound up with the Lakers, where he should have his fair share of opportunities as an athletic player in Mike D'Antoni's system. With Johnson playing on a one-year contract, it'd certainly be in his best interest to continue his momentum from last season and perform well enough to earn a lucrative contract next summer, whether it'd be in L.A. or somewhere else.

Greivis Vasquez, Kings – It's more than reasonable to deem 2012/13 as a breakout year for Vasquez. The 6'6 point guard rose to the occasion in New Orleans, producing an impressive 13.9 PPG and 9.0 APG stat line in 34.4 MPG and 78 games played/started. It's important to note that he'll be entering a contract year, and one significant question is how Vasquez's numbers will fare with an entirely different cast of teammates, especially with the surplus of guards on the roster – namely Isaiah Thomas, Ben McLemore, Marcus Thornton, and Jimmer Fredette. Although the former Maryland star displayed his capabilities as a distributor and a tertiary scoring option last season, it appears that another major improvement within reach would be to raise his shooting percentages (.433/.342) as well as the amount of times he gets to the line (2.0). Following his career-best season to date, Vasquez will surely have to deliver in his most important one yet.

After Bledsoe, who would you expect to be the most improved player in the Pacific Division?

Western Notes: Ledo, Ellington, Murray

September 5th, 2013 at 6:14pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Let's pass along some of tonight's miscellaneous news and notes from the Western Conference:

Brian Gutierrez of ESPN Dallas evaluates the Mavericks' signing of second-round pick Ricky Ledo and gives the team a "B" grade for the move.
Although Wayne Ellington wasn't one of the more heralded free agents signings for the Mavs this summer, Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com underscores the value that the former UNC standout brings to the table as a shooter.
Ronald Murray and Dallas Lauderdale will be participating in Jazz mini-camp this week, according to Mary Schmitt-Boyer of the Plain Dealer (via Twitter).
1500 ESPN's Darren Wolfson tweets that former Timberwolves executive David Kahn had spoken with a few teams about front office roles in addition to interviewing for the 76ers' GM opening.
Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times thinks that Brandon Davies has a legitimate chance to make the Clippers' opening night roster. However, considering the team's luxury tax situation, Pincus is curious to see how the team will ultimately make their decision on him (Sulia link).

Kyler On Asik, Rockets, Suns, Gortat, Adelman

August 26th, 2013 at 12:48pm CST by Luke Adams

Continuing a series that got underway last week, Steve Kyler of HoopsWorld examines a few more teams that could explore trade options either before or during the 2013/14 season. Let's dive in and check out what Kyler has to say about the Rockets, Suns, and Timberwolves….

The Rockets listened to offers on Omer Asik earlier in the offseason, and there were teams with interest, but given the health questions still surrounding Dwight Howard, Houston was reluctant to part with Asik and put everything on D12.
Jeremy Lin's future in Houston also isn't entirely set in stone, but the Rockets figure to give Lin and Asik a chance to establish roles with the club early on, says Kyler. If Lin, Asik, or anyone else isn't fitting into the team's system, trades could be explored.
While the Suns have been adamant that Marcin Gortat is a core piece for this season, Kyler thinks it's inevitable that the veteran big man is shopped and/or moved by the trade deadline, considering he's in a contract year.
Eric Bledsoe is eligible for a contract extension this offseason, but the Suns may want to see how he adjusts to a bigger role before making a long-term commitment, says Kyler. If Bledsoe emerges as the long-term answer at point guard, it could make Goran Dragic a trade candidate down the road.
The T-Wolves' roster looks solid entering the 2013/14 season, but there's some uncertainty surrounding head coach Rick Adelman. Sources tell Kyler that Adelman isn't retiring, but his wife's health problems mean that the coach's future in Minnesota remains up in the air. It's not clear what will happen if Adelman has to miss a significant chunk of time again, Kyler notes.

Extension Candidate: Eric Bledsoe

August 9th, 2013 at 2:13pm CST by Luke Adams

As a member of the Clippers, Eric Bledsoe appeared to be one of this year's extension-eligible players least likely to sign a new long-term contract. After all, the club had arguably the league's best point guard ahead of him, and Chris Paul had been locked up to a long-term deal of his own. Throw in big multiyear contracts for Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan and others, and there simply wasn't going to be enough flexibility for the Clips to pay to keep Bledsoe around.

As such, it was no surprise when the Clippers agreed to trade Bledsoe to acquire help on the wing, though the point guard's destination was a bit of a surprise. Despite already having Goran Dragic on a long-term contract and having drafted Kendall Marshall last summer, the Suns nabbed Bledsoe in a three-way swap with the Clips and Bucks.

It doesn't seem as if new GM Ryan McDonough values Marshall quite as highly as the old regime did, considering Marshall's name popped up in trade rumors last month. That doesn't mean the Suns will just give up on him, but it opens up the door for Bledsoe to be a bigger part of the club's long-term plan. Even with Dragic running the point in Phoenix, McDonough and the Suns have indicated that they expect to see Dragic and Bledsoe playing at the same time frequently next season.

If the Suns do plan for Bledsoe to be a primary piece of the team's core, this offseason may be the best time to negotiate a new deal for him. The team will have until October 31st to finalize an extension for Bledsoe, with the 23-year-old primed to hit restricted free agency in 2014 if no agreement can be reached.

While Bledsoe's potential upside is acknowledged by everyone around the NBA, he hasn't accumulated as many minutes and statistics as most typical extension candidates. Because he played behind Paul in Los Angeles for the last two seasons, Bledsoe's career numbers aren't flashy: In 197 career contests, he has averaged 6.7 PPG and 3.0 APG to go along with a 13.6 PER and shooting percentages of .431/.308/.749. By comparison, here are the numbers a few other recently-extended point guards compiled in their first three seasons:

Bledsoe has only averaged 19.6 minutes per game in his first three years, so it's probaby unfair to compare him to guys who earned more playing time when it comes to counting stats like points and assists. Bledsoe was also significantly more effective in his third season than in his first two. Still, even in part-time action, often playing against an opponent's second-stringers, Bledsoe's career PER and shooting percentages don't stack up to the averages posted by Mike Conley, Jrue Holiday, and Ty Lawson.

Conley, Holiday, and Lawson all received four- or five-year extensions that paid them between $8-12MM annually, with Conley signing his deal in 2010, while the others were inked last summer. Given the discrepancy between their numbers and Bledsoe's, it seems reasonable to assume Bledsoe hasn't shown enough yet to be considered a player who should earn $8MM+ annually. That means that if the Suns and Bledsoe were to discuss a four-year deal, the team could propose something in the neighborhood of $26-28MM, or nearly $7MM per year.

That sort of offer would likely be enough to give Bledsoe pause. After all, it's not far off from Dragic's four-year, $30MM pact, and Dragic was coming off a very impressive 2011/12 season (26.5 MPG, 18.0 PER) when he inked his deal. Despite a solid '12/13, Bledsoe doesn't have the same track record, so securing that kind of long-term commitment based primarily on his potential could be appealing.

On the other hand, Bledsoe figures to play a larger role and more minutes in his first season in Phoenix. He's still only 23 years old, which means he has plenty of room to continue to improve, in addition to seeing his numbers increase simply due to a boost in playing time. A breakout 2013/14 season would position him well for a bigger free agent contract next summer, when he's able to negotiate with teams besides the Suns. In that case, agreeing to an extension now could mean leaving several million dollars on the table.

Given how little we've seen from Bledsoe as a first-stringer, it's hard to predict whether or not the team and/or player will aggressively pursue an extension this offseason. It should ultimately come down to whether the Suns and Bledsoe can reach an agreement that balances the risk and reward on both sides. It wouldn't surprise me to see Bledsoe sign a deal in the ballpark of the one Dragic received from the Suns, but the Kentucky product could just as easily decide to roll the dice and take his chances in free agency next summer.

Eastern Notes: Price, Magic, Antic, Raptors, C’s

July 26th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Ronnie Price's minimum-salary contract with the Magic was originally reported as a one-year deal, but in his latest update of the team's books at ShamSports.com, Mark Deeks notes that Price will actually be locked up for two years. The second season will be non-guaranteed, with Orlando having the chance to avoid Price's cap hit if he's released on or before July 10th, 2014. Here are more Magic notes, more contract details from Deeks, and more items from around the Eastern Conference:

While it's been a fairly quiet offseason for the Magic, the team still needs to resolve a few outstanding issues, says Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. Among Robbins' tidbits: The team is making sure there are no possible trades involving Hedo Turkoglu and Al Harrington before getting serious about buyouts; the club's $17.8MM Dwight Howard trade exception will likely go unused; and the Magic were never as interested in Eric Bledsoe as various reports suggested.
Pero Antic's contract with the Hawks is worth a guaranteed $1.2MM for 2013/14 and a non-guaranteed $1.25MM in '14/15, notes Deeks.
In his latest update of the Raptors' salaries, Deeks points out that the second and third years of Quentin Richardson's new contract with Toronto will become guaranteed if he's not waived by January 1st, 2014. In other words, there's no chance that Richardson sticks on the team's roster all season. The Raps will likely release the veteran prior to opening night.
J. Michael of CSNWashington.com explores a few possible options for the Wizards' 15th roster spot.
New Celtics head coach Brad Stevens appeared on WEEI's Green Street podcast, and provided plenty of interesting quotes on a variety of Celtics-related topics. Ben Rohrbach of WEEI.com passes along the highlights.

Eric Bledsoe To Suns, Redick To Clippers

July 10th, 2013 at 2:13pm CST by Zachary Links

JULY 10TH: The Bucks have officially announced that the three-way deal has been finalized (Twitter link). Milwaukee will receive Toronto's 2014 second-round pick (via the Suns), and the Clippers' 2015 second-rounder, which is protected in '15 and '16, but unprotected in '17 (Twitter link). That Raptors pick also has some unusual protection, the details of which can be found at RealGM.com.

JULY 2ND: The Clippers, Bucks, and Suns have reached agreement on a three-team deal, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links). Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler will go to the Suns, Jared Dudley and J.J. Redick (sign-and-trade) will head to the Clippers and two second-round picks will be sent to the Bucks, according to sources. The Clippers and Suns will each kick in a second-rounder, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.

Redick's brand new deal will pay him $27MM over the next four years, Wojnarowski (link) hears from sources. The shooting guard will also get a trade kicker in his contract, Wojnarowski tweets.

The Clippers were in the market for a shooter this summer and they get a tremendous one in the former Bucks guard. Redick averaged 14.1 PPG last season for the Bucks and Magic, though his downtown shooting dipped to 36.6% versus his 40% clip from the previous six seasons. It's also worth noting that Redick attempted 5.8 threes per game, versus 3.1 prior to 2012/13.

Bledsoe is a major acquisition for the recently-crowned GM Ryan McDonough. The 23-year-old guard will team up with No. 5 overall pick Alex Len for the Suns who are hoping to recover from a rough 2012/13 campaign. The Clippers were extremely high on Bledsoe and his potential, but even ardent supporter Chris Paul acknowledged earlier this year that he would likely be traded to fill a greater need. Bledsoe was stellar last season, averaging 8.5 PPG and 3.1 APG in 20.4 minutes per contest, serving primarily as Paul's understudy. Bledsoe's addition figured to change things for point guard Goran Dragic and may also effect last year's first-round pick Kendall Marshall.

The Suns also get Butler in the swap and they'll pay him $8MM in his upcoming walk year. The veteran averaged 10.4 PPG last season, his lowest mark since his sophomore campaign in 2003/04. He started all 78 games that he played in for the Clippers last season but played just 24.1 minutes per contest. One has to imagine that he'll see a good amount of burn for the rebuilding Suns.

Dudley started 50 games (79 played in total) for the struggling Suns last season, averaging 10.9 PPG and 3.1 RPG. The 6'7" forward has a reasonable contract as he earns $4.25MM in each of the next two seasons and can make the same amount in 2015/16 if he triggers his player option. While he's not the centerpiece of the deal for L.A., he can certainly be a valuable addition to their bench.

As for the Bucks, this deal is something of a head-scratcher. Milwaukee parted ways with Tobias Harris in a six-player deal to acquire Redick back in February and five months later, they have just two second-round picks to show for it.

Clippers, Mavs Talking Mayo Sign-And-Trade

July 2nd, 2013 at 10:35am CST by Chuck Myron

10:35am: Rivers is "strongly inclined" to keep Bledsoe, so the Clippers may offer Caron Butler and/or Jamal Crawford instead, in hopes of landing Mayo, says Broussard (via Twitter). I'm skeptical that Dallas would have a whole lot of interest in a non-Bledsoe package.

TUESDAY, 10:02am: As talks continue between the Clippers and Mavs on a possible deal, Rivers will meet Mayo for lunch today, tweets ESPN.com's Chris Broussard.

MONDAY, 6:14pm: Matt Barnes could be part of the deal, according to Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Aaron Goodwin, the agent for Barnes, told McMahon that Dallas was one of 12 teams to express interest in his client. The Mavs also have interest in Chauncey Billups.

5:10pm: The Clippers and Mavs are involved in discussions about a Mayo-for-Bledsoe deal, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Dallas is holding off on a major move until Dwight Howard makes his decision, but the team is becoming increasingly confident that it will find a sign-and-trade partner for Mayo, Stein also tweets.

11:51am: Clippers coach and senior VP of basketball operations Doc Rivers has "serious interest" in O.J. Mayo, and the shooting guard was the second free agent the team called after speaking to Chris Paul last night, reports Sam Amick of USA Today. The team may pursue a sign-and-trade with the Mavericks involving Eric Bledsoe to acquire Mayo, according to Amick (Twitter links).

The Clippers will have plenty of competition for the Landmark Sports Agency client. Mayo is reportedly also meeting with the Wolves, and Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Blazers, Bobcats and Bulls are all likely suitors as well. Mayo could have stayed with the Mavs on a $4.2MM player option, but it appears he'll net much more than that on the market.

The Clips go into the offseason with about $44MM guaranteed on their books, but with Paul's max salary pushing $19MM, a weighty offer for Mayo could push the team close to tax territory, unless the Clippers can shed significant salary in a sign-and-trade. I'd doubt the Mavs are looking to take back too much in return for Mayo, however, as they look to retain cap flexibility.

Los Angeles Rumors: Bledsoe, Redick, Vujacic

July 2nd, 2013 at 7:33am CST by Luke Adams

Dwight Howard has met with the Rockets, Warriors, and Hawks so far this week, and the Lakers, along with the Mavs, will finally get their shot to make a pitch to the All-Star free agent today. As Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports tweets, Golden State's and Atlanta's presentations yesterday went well, with Howard considering both team's head coaches (Mark Jackson and Mike Budenholzer) to be impressive.

As the Lakers prepare to meet with the biggest free agent left on the market, let's round up a few more updates out of Los Angeles….

It's sounding "more and more" as if the Clippers may just hang on to Eric Bledsoe, says Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com. As Shelburne notes, it's hard to imagine Bledsoe re-signing with the Clippers long-term, either this offseason or next summer as a restricted free agent, but Doc Rivers seems in no hurry to part with the point guard, even after exploring possible deals (all Twitter links).
According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Clippers have received trade inquiries on Bledsoe from the Raptors, Magic, Pistons, Bucks, and Mavericks.
The Clippers are searching for a way to sign-and-trade for J.J. Redick, who dined with Rivers on Monday night, tweets Wojnarowski. However, sources call the possibility a long shot.
Sasha Vujacic intends to return to the NBA for the 2013/14 season, and the Lakers would be his top choice, reports Arash Markazi of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).
Kobe Bryant offered his latest hints that he'll be sticking around past next summer, insisting to Mike Trudell of Lakers.com that he'll be able to play at a high level for "at least another three years," and pointing to his injury and the Spurs' run to the Finals as motivation (Twitter links).
The Lakers have expressed interest in re-signing Earl Clark, who is drawing attention from "two or three teams" besides L.A., writes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News.

Clippers, Bucks Discussing Bledsoe, Redick?

July 1st, 2013 at 5:17pm CST by Luke Adams

5:17pm: The Clippers and Redick will be meeting soon, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com.

3:36pm: There are rumblings that the Clippers and Bucks are discussing a potential deal that would send Eric Bledsoe to Milwaukee and J.J. Redick to Los Angeles, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com (via Twitter).

Having reached a verbal agreement with Chris Paul on a maximum-salary contract, the Clippers have seemingly shifted their focus to acquiring a shooting guard to pair with Paul in the backcourt. Although free agents like O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen have been mentioned as possible targets, L.A.'s best way to acquire an impact player may involve using Bledsoe as trade bait.

While it's not clear how far talks between the Clippers and Bucks have progressed, it's easy to see why such a deal would appeal to both teams. Redick is coming off the best year of his career and would give the Clippers a deadly sharpshooter from the outside, while Bledsoe (and perhaps Caron Butler's expiring contract) would be an excellent haul for a Bucks team looking to acquire or retain backcourt help. Since Redick is a free agent, a sign-and-trade agreement would be required — that would allow the Clippers to offer him more than the mid-level exception.

We also heard earlier this afternoon that the Clippers haven't ruled out the possibility of trading Bledsoe to the Magic in a deal for Arron Afflalo.

Trade Rumors: Asik, Bledsoe, Afflalo, Chandler

July 1st, 2013 at 3:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Most of the news and rumors we're passing along today relate to free agency, but during the July moratorium, it's likely we'll see a few trades agreed upon as well. Let's round up a few of today's reports on potential trade possibilities….

Ostensibly, the Trail Blazers' acquisition of Thomas Robinson allows the Rockets to clear the cap room to make a max offer to Dwight Howard. However, the underrated aspect of the deal, according to Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com, is that the Rockets could look to move Omer Asik if they land Howard. Haynes says Portland is "closely monitoring" that situation, since the big man would be the kind of rim-protecting defensive specialist the club has been lacking.
The Clippers and Magic are still discussing a potential deal that would send Arron Afflalo to L.A. for Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler, says Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (via Twitter). However, before getting serious about Afflalo, the Clippers figure to make a run at free agent shooting guards such as O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen.
A source tells Jared Zwerling of ESPNNewYork.com (Twitter link) that while the Knicks haven't offered Tyson Chandler in any trade talks, the team wouldn't be opposed to moving him in the right offer. I'm guessing Chandler will stay put, but as their acquisition of Andrea Bargnani showed, the Knicks are willing to get creative to try to improve their roster.