Eric Bledsoe getting sent home is not exactly how the Phoenix Suns envisioned starting their season but following a 0-3 start, including two losses by 40+ points, the star guard seemed to express his displeasure on Twitter. Head coach Earl Watson was fired shortly after and Suns general manager Ryan McDonough said that Bledsoe would be the next to go. Now it appears that Bledsoe is getting his wish and Phoenix is getting a decent return.
The Suns are reportedly finalizing a trade with the Milwaukee Bucks sending Bledsoe to Milwaukee in exchange for Greg Monroe and a first round draft pick.
Following comes courtesy of Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe of ESPN.
The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to send guard Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Greg Monroe, a first-round and a second-round draft pick, league sources told ESPN.
The teams reached an agreement in principle on deal terms late Monday night, and were spending early Tuesday finalizing medical evaluations on the players included in the deal before formalizing a deal, league sources said.
There would be lottery protections on the first-round pick, league sources said.
This deal seems to be a very win-now move for the Milwaukee Bucks while still allowing their younger talents to grow alongside their star Giannis Antetokounmpo. They’re taking a chance on a very good guard. But many have noticed the point guard position has been a point of weakness for Milwaukee. Antetokounmpo has been the defacto point guard after underwhelming showings from Matthew Dellavedova and reigning rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon.
Bledsoe comes in as an overall upgrade and allows Milwaukee to move both players as reserve guards that can play alongside him. Known primarily for his defense, Bledsoe also brings the ability to score on his own if a cold night from Giannis arises.
After picking up his option over the summer, Milwaukee has actively been shopping Greg Monroe in trades, much like the Suns have been shopping Bledsoe and other veterans for almost six months. Monroe will bring a proven scoring punch to a much maligned Suns frontline that has been without a proven scorer in the paint since Amar’e Stoudemire left town.
