A new trade proposal from the Phoenix Suns could be just enough to pry prized point guard Kyrie Irving from the Cleveland Cavilers.
Thanks to Kyrie Irving requesting a trade from the Cleveland Cavilers, there has been plenty of buzz around the Phoenix Suns. The Suns are in the midst of a rebuild with plenty of young assets that could be included in a trade. Clearly the teams have not been able to agree upon a deal yet however, that could soon change. With Irving’s trade value going down recently, it appears that the Suns decided to try to take advantage of the poor situation in Cleveland.
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Reported by Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 on his podcast The Scoop, the Suns would package Miami Heat’s 2018 first round pick owned by the Suns, Eric Bledsoe and Dragan Bender. He said the Suns will not offer Josh Jackson.
Obviously, most will agree Bledsoe would have to be a part of any deal for Irving. Throwing in the Miami Heat protected pick is if anything unfair to the Cavs. The Heat will be in the mix for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs would most likely get a middle to late first round pick in the next draft. Throwing the Heat pick into the deal is definitely needed to make the deal happen.
Bender being in this deal may make Suns fans nervous or even upset and rightfully so. The young big man does have potential however, he did not show a lot of it during his rookie year.
| Season | Age | Pos | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | 2P% | eFG% | FT% | ORB | DRB | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 19 | PF | 43 | 0 | 13.3 | .354 | .277 | .483 | .441 | .364 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.4 |
| Career | 43 | 0 | 13.3 | .354 | .277 | .483 | .441 | .364 | 0.5 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 3.4 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 8/4/2017.
Before fans get ready to run me out of town, I will say that Bender is a very young European rookie that did not get a lot of playing time. The stats are only a small sample size of his potential. Also, transitioning from European ball to the NBA is not easy for most players. Still his size potential will be the deciding factor if Cleveland pulls the trigger on this potential trade offer. If the Suns want to get All-Star and Championship winning point guard Kyrie Irving they will have to give up a young player like Bender to obtain the Irving’s services.
Next: A New Twist in the Kyrie/Phoenix Saga
If this trade for Irving does take place there will be Suns fans that love the trade or hate it. Depending on how much the individual fan values Bender will determine if they like the trade or not. Regardless, this trade is much better than previous offers that included Josh Jackson. It is fair to speculate that besides Jackson and Devin Booker, any player on the roster could be included in the Irving trade. With that being saying, if this trade were to happen the Suns would definitely “win” the trade.