The Cleveland Cavaliers trading for Eric Bledsoe could pay dividends both now and in the long run.
In both the long run and the short-term, the Cleveland Cavaliers may be better served by trading Isaiah Thomas for Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe.
This isn’t because Thomas isn’t an outstanding player or because his injury prognosis doesn’t look good. It’s because Bledsoe is a superior defender, currently healthy and won’t demand a large sum of money in the offseason that could prove to be a headache (or nightmare for the Cavs) both in the offseason and down the road. For a championship contender trying to keep it’s championship window open as long as possible, those are all factors of the utmost importance.
From what it looks like, on Sunday, Bledsoe stated on Twitter that he no longer wants to play for the Phoenix Suns.
I Dont wanna be here
— Eric Bledsoe (@EBled2) October 22, 2017
With Earl Watson’s firing coming an hour after Bledsoe’s tweet was sent out, it can only be assumed that Bledsoe is indeed disgruntled in Phoenix and wants out.
The Suns, who are currently 0-3 (and lost two of those contests by a combined 90 points), haven’t won more than 40 games in a season since the 2013-2014 NBA season, Bledsoe’s first with the team after being traded by the Los Angeles Clippers. Being in the NBA’s dungeon for three seasons and failing to looking like a competitive – or competent – squad so far this season isn’t likely to do much to help boost a player’s morale.
As a result, it’s not surprising he’d want to be traded. The Suns, who do have a few veterans on the roster with Jared Dudley and Tyson Chandler are a young and rebuilding team. Six of the Suns’ top players (sorted by minutes per game), are under 24-years-old. That’s not a recipe for playoff success in the stacked Western Conference.
Bledsoe, who is 28-years-old and in the prime of his career, only has two seasons left on the five-year, $70 million contract he signed with Phoenix in 2014. At this point in his career, he’s likely thinking about playing for a competitive contender rather than a team full of tykes.
The Cavs, a team that will be without it’s starting point guard until December – a different point guard than the one who manned the position for the past six seasons – could make a move for Bledsoe. Not only is Bledsoe a player LeBron James considers a little brother and thus a player that could entice James to stay in Cleveland past this summer, he’s a healthy point guard who brings the same skills that Derrick Rose brings to Cleveland, plus one.
Defense. Defense (and size) that matters against a team like the Golden State Warriors. Thomas’ lack of size would make him a defensive liability and because of the lack of athleticism Kevin Love possesses, the Cavs would have trouble containing perimeter penetration or stop players from attacking the rim.
The Cleveland Cavaliers just saw against the Orlando Magic, with Jose Calderon as the starting point guard, how bad their pick-and-roll defense could be. With Thomas, who plays with more effort on the defensive end and is a better athlete, the problems wouldn’t be as severe. Especially considering the Cavs’ decision to blitz ball-handlers this season, a scheme that improved a paltry regular season defense in last season’s playoffs.
Nonetheless, against a team as talented as the Golden State Warriors, the Cavs would be better served by having a player that they didn’t have to worry about on the defensive end.
Bledsoe is that type of player.
Statistically, Bledsoe’s career numbers weigh up as he’s averaged 1.4 steals per game and a defensive rating of 107.
Certain defensive numbers, like those of his pick-and-roll defense against opposing ball-handlers, have suffered as of late with the team losing so much talent and experience over the years. Players like Goran Dragic, P.J. Tucker, the Morris Twins, Gerald Green and Channing Frye are all on different teams and have thrived with those new clubs. In 2015-2016 (the first season that advanced defensive stats sorted by play type became available), Bledsoe was holding pick-and-roll ball-handlers to 0.80 points per possession (PPP). Last season, that number jumped to 0.92. Three games into 2017-2018, that number has ballooned to 1.39.
However, Bledsoe’s on-ball defense hasn’t suffered at all due to his athleticism, knack for racking up thefts, strength and natural talent on that side of the ball. This season, Bledsoe is holding players to 0.80 PPP in isolation. In 2015-2016, Bledsoe was held players to 0.68 PPP in isolation. Standing at 6-foot-1 but weighing a solid 205 pounds, Bledsoe is built low to the ground and that allows him to power through the lane on the way to the rim with quickness and strength on the offensive end but on the defensive end, Bledsoe’s physique allows him to mirror the movements of opposing ball-handlers with relative ease.
With Bledsoe in the starting lineup, the Cleveland Cavaliers would no longer worry about their ability to play a high level of perimeter defense.
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Bledsoe also might have a better chance at spacing the floor beside Wade than Rose, which should help open up lanes for Wade to score and get comfortable in the Cavs’ starting lineup.
Bledsoe is a career 31.2 percent shooter from the corners and shot 29.2 percent from the corners last season. He’s shot 50.0 percent or above twice in his career, in the 2012-2013 and 2013-2014 season. However, those are the only two times he’s shot above 34.0 percent in seven seasons.
Yet, while possessing a career three-point shooting percentage of 33.4, he has made over 35.0 percent of his three-point attempts three times in seven seasons. His most recent season shooting above 35.0 percent from three-point range came in the 2015-2016 season (37.2 percent). He made 37.0 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes in 2016-2017 and 35.8 percent of those attempts in 2015-2016 (and 40.3 percent of his pull-up threes).
Bledsoe is most efficient when shooting from above the left break although he’s solid when shooting above the break from either side. In any case, the Cleveland Cavaliers will have spots other than the corners where they can pass it to Bledsoe for a spot-up attempt and expect him to take (and make) the shot.
Bledsoe, who drove to the rim 10.3 times per game last season (9th-most in the NBA), scored 7.0 points on those drives (11th-most in the NBA). The similarity in his and Rose’s offensive games are interesting, although Bledsoe is less acrobatic, more of a bully around the basket and more inclined to pass.
These are all things the Cleveland Cavaliers already knew though
Bledsoe averaged 21.1 points, 6.3 assists and 1.4 steals per game last season. When looking at if he’ll be able to score, facilitate or wreak havoc at a rate worthy of a trade that results in the Cavs losing Thomas, the answer is yes.
He was, for quite some time, the primary point guard being linked to the Cavs in trade discussions centered around Kyrie Irving. If the Cavs were willing to trade Irving to the Suns in exchange for Bledsoe and presumable Josh Jackson, they should be willing to trade Thomas to the Suns in exchange for Bledsoe. Especially since the Cavs already acquired an asset for the future in the Brooklyn Nets 2018 first-round pick for Irving and received a renowned perimeter defender in Jae Crowder in the Irving trade as well.
In order to make salaries match, the Cleveland Cavaliers would have to trade Channing Frye as well but that’s not a bad idea. While Frye is beloved by the locker room, the open roster spot can be used to bring in a bruiser and locker room leader like Kendrick Perkins or a second unit scorer like Jordan Crawford. It can also be kept open for the annual buyout season, when veterans on bad team’s make it known they would rather play for a championship contender – and would sacrifice money to do it.
For the Suns, Thomas and Frye are two positive influences for the locker room. Thomas brings heart, toughness and All-Star talent to the Suns as well while Frye can bring a championship pedigree.
Thomas’ health may be a concern for some but the Suns have long been said to have one of the best training facilities in the league and Thomas’ long-term health shouldn’t be a concern at all.
With that, the Suns would be getting a player who they can sign to any contract they want because they have his Bird Rights. A player who the Cavs can afford, in theory. However, there are luxury tax concerns in signing Thomas to a maximum contract right before they (possibly) sign James to what could be his final max contract.
This is a trade where both teams could help each other out on an equal level. As a result, no draft picks would need to be swapped.
One last note. With so many new faces in the Land, the Cavs need to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible in order to be as dangerous as possible on both ends of the floor before the postseason starts. Thomas’ being out indefinitely spits in the face of that.
It increases the strain and workload that will be put on Rose. In addition, trying to learn how to fit-in with James and Love as a tertiary option on-the-fly is unlikely to be an easy transition after Thomas’ MVP-worthy campaign last season. However, Bledsoe is unlikely to come with that level of ego as a scorer and so his fitting in will be easier from that standpoint at least.