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Boston Celtics Not a Realistic Trade Partner for Eric Bledsoe

By Joshua Bateman

PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 11: Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns gets introduced before the preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 11, 2017 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - OCTOBER 11: Eric Bledsoe #2 of the Phoenix Suns gets introduced before the preseason game against the Portland Trail Blazers on October 11, 2017 at Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix, Arizona. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Barry Gossage/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Eric Bledsoe is on the trade block, but do not expect the Boston Celtics to go after him

The crazy NBA offseason did not waste any time breaking its way into the regular season, and Eric Bledsoe has been sent home after appearing to request a trade. Adrian Wojnarowski has reported that the Pheonix Suns have been involved in trade talks, and it does not look like the two sides are going to work things out.

Naturally, when a player goes on the trade block, people will wonder whether Danny Ainge will get involved. The Boston Celtics still have some draft picks, and have a lot of young prospects, so they still do have the assets to try and get a trade.

When you take into account how little leverage the Suns have, and this looks like a great opportunity for Ainge to do what he does best: get incredible value out of a trade.

Taking all that into account, this still makes little sense for the Celtics. They would be a better team with him, and need to find a way to replace the scoring of Gordon Hayward, but doing a trade like this would not be in line with the future plans of this team.

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The Hayward injury changed the mindset of this season a bit. Obviously, a championship is always going to be the goal, but it is no longer the standard for this team. The Celtics are at a point where they could do a phenomenal job of developing their young players in a season that was going to be a transition no matter what.

Trading for Bledsoe would be a win now move, would cost them assets that will be more valuable in the future, and they will be taking on an injury prone player.

Bledsoe is on a phenomenal contract, and would certainly outperform what he is being paid, as long as he is on the court.

Unless Ainge could manage to get Bledsoe without losing a significant asset, which would be hard to believe, even for him, this is not someone I would expect the Celtics to spend too much time thinking about.

Depending when Bledose lands, he could once again change the landscape of one of these conferences, and it will be almost impossible for any team to do worse than the Suns this season.

A back court with Kyrie Irving and Bledsoe would do wonders for this offense, but it could threaten the future of the team. If the Celtics have been consistent with any one thing throughout this rebuild, it is that they will not be doing strictly win now moves, and they especially will not be doing that in the first season with this core, while missing Hayward.

Next: Can the Celtics Still be Successful?

The situation makes it quite difficult to see the Celtics seriously considering a trade with the Suns, but after this offseason, I would not completely rule out anything.

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