Number 4: Eric Bledsoe to the Pistons
There’s a whole lot of money wrapped up in contracts moving in this trade, but both the Suns and the Pistons would benefit from it. For the Suns, they get a top-5 center in the league in Drummond who is still under contract for three, possibly four years, and will enter this season only 23-years-old. They also get a third-string center, and while he is overpaid at $7 million a year, he’s 7’3″, skilled, and was loved by Gregg Popovich, which is never a bad thing. The real catch is Drummond though as he can rebound, defend, and occasionally put up 25 points on top of that as well. His free throw shooting is still dismal, but he gives the Suns an inside-scoring option, the best they’ve had since a mid-30s Shaq.
For the Pistons, they give up their best player. But while Drummond is more valuable than Bledsoe, the Pistons also add pieces for their future, a future they don’t really have at the moment since they are stuck in no-man’s land at the bottom of the lottery. They get the second pick in the second round this year, a position where they can still get quality young talent. The Suns also send them Miami’s 1st Round Pick next year, as well as retaining their picks this year and in 2018 as well. They Pistons also receive a solid starting center in Chandler, and while he does have a large contract, it ends right around the time they would look to start building through free agency.