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12/22/2024 09:18:14 pm

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NBA Trade Rumors: Suns Could Send Eric Bledsoe to Cavs for JR Smith as Cleveland Seeks Veteran PG

Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe

(Photo : Getty Images) Eric Bledsoe could join the Cavs soon.

There are rumors that the Phoenix Suns could send Eric Bledsoe to Cleveland Cavaliers for JR Smith as the defending champions are seeking a veteran point guard to back up Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs are currently thin at the point guard spot after Matthew Dellavedova's summer exit to Milwaukee and Mo Williams' recuperating from a left leg surgery he sustained before the start of the season.

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At the moment, Cleveland only has second-round selection Kay Felder as Irving's backup and team executives believe they need more options at the position to keep Irving fresh for another championship run.

Meanwhile, Smith, who agreed to re-join the Cavs this season by signing a new four-year, $57 million deal, is reportedly "in a slump" and could be placed on the trading block if he continues to perform below expectations, according to Chat Sports Net.

Smith opted out of his $5.3 million option this season and became an unrestricted free agent during the summer. He demanded $15 million a year from the Cavs, but the club initially offered $10 million to $11 million only, resulting in a stalemate for both parties.

Nevertheless, about two weeks before the start of the new season, Smith and the Cavs reached an agreement for $14.25 million per season, bringing back Cleveland's whole starting lineup from last season's championship team.

The Suns are looking to "balance out" an overcrowded backcourt with Brandon Knight and Devin Booker and is rumored to be shopping Bledsoe to interested teams.

Forbes has pinpointed Bledsoe as one of "five NBA players likely to be traded this season" because of the said surplus of potential All-Star guards in Phoenix.

Phoenix has reportedly anointed Booker as their face of the future which leaves either Bledsoe or Knight as the team's potential trade piece in midseason.

A Bledsoe-Smith swap is predicted to happen in or before the February trade deadline as the Suns and Cavs continue to assess their respective situations this season.

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