While it may not be the deal that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been holding out hope for, it is still a solid haul.
According to Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500 in Cleveland, the Phoenix Suns have made an offer of Eric Bledsoe, Dragan Bender and the Miami Heat’s 2018 first-round draft pick in exchange for Cavs point guard Kyrie Irving.
Bender is a solid prospect and although the Cavs have preferred Josh Jackson, Bender was the 4th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft and packs a ton of upside.
Bender is tall and can shoot which is a very valuable asset to have in today’s NBA.
Let’s not forget that Eric Bledsoe would be headed to Cleveland as well and he is coming off of the best year of his career.
Not only is Bledsoe a fearless, high-volume scorer, he was also one of the Suns’ best defenders.
While this package doesn’t net the Cavs Jackson or Devin Booker, this allows them a proven starter of All-Star caliber, a high end prospect with a high ceiling and a draft pick to help them in the future.
Considering the reluctance of teams such as Phoenix and the Denver Nuggets to meet the trade demands of Cleveland, this may be the best deal that Cleveland has and will have on the table.
With Irving gone and LeBron James likely on his way out soon as well the Cavs need to be thinking about the future and young assets to stack in order to forge forward after Irving and James’ eventual departures.
This package gives them value for now and assets for the future as well.