NBA Trade Rumors: Pistons interested in Eric Bledsoe trade

The Detroit Pistons are showing interest in the extremely available Eric Bledsoe, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Stein writes that a Bledsoe deal would be contingent on just how much added incentive Detroit would offer Phoenix in order to take back Reggie Jackson’s contract.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports that the Suns “prefer a third team take on Reggie Jackson in any potential Eric Bledsoe deal.”

What else would Detroit need to give up?

This would be in the form of one or more of the following:

• Draft pick compensation
• Young players
• Taking back additional onerous salary from Phoenix

The Suns are saddled with a few long-term deals that they’d probably like to move in a Bledsoe trade. Former Piston Brandon Knight, who is out for the season, is on a truly horrendous deal that will see him make $44 million over the next three seasons.

The Suns would also likely want to move the $26 million remaining on Tyson Chandler and the $19.5 million owed to Jared Dudley.

The problem for Detroit is a lack of expiring or enticing contracts they could send in return. Of presumably available players only Boban Marjanovic is on a digestible two-year deal. Other players such as Jon Leuer and Langston Galloway have three years remaining and that would not interest the Suns.

Then there is the young assets. Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard all have some value, but Johnson is a mainstay in the rotation and there isn’t much small forward depth behind him.

Whether it is worth selling so soon on Ellenson or Kennard for an upgrade at point guard is in the eye of the beholder. I’m sure if the Pistons were willing to send a future first-round pick they could get the Suns seriously interested, but that’s a big price to pay.

The Pistons don’t leak, period

Another issue to consider when thinking about the feasibility of a deal is to reflect on past Pistons transactions. When is the last time you heard about Detroit being interested in a player and something actually came of it?

The answer, at least in the Stan Van Gundy era, is never. Not the Marcus Morris trade, the Anthony Tolliver trade, the Ersan Ilyasova trade, the Tobias Harris trade or the Avery Bradley trade.

You hear about them when a deal is done or minutes before a deal is completed. The Pistons don’t leak.

The fact that Stein has a hold on expressed interest makes me think while I’m sure Stein is correct that Detroit is exploring options, they are not hot and heavy after Bledsoe and no deal is remotely close.

Does a deal make sense?

If the Pistons could heavily protect a first-round pick then prehaps. If the Pistons think Henry Ellenson, for all his offensive promise, will always be a prohibitive liability on defense then perhaps. If the Suns are so desperate to shed additional salary and Tom Gores is willing to bleed some money to improve the team and get some butts in the seats of Little Caesars Arena then perhaps.

But I find the odds of any of that to be pretty small. Especially when the Suns have months to demand the moon leading up to the trade deadline and just hope for another team to panic and say yes.

Van Gundy, in his role as GM,doesn’t seem to panic.

For what it’s worth, here is how “the other side” views a possible deal, for those that want to remove their Pistons-colored glasses.