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On Sunday morning, it was reported that preliminary talks about a deal that would feature the Los Angeles Clippers sending Eric Bledsoe to the Utah Jazz for Paul Millsap were underway leading up to the Feb. 21 NBA Trade Deadline. Obviously, nothing has been finalized yet, but the deal is one that makes a ton of sense for the Clippers.
Though the Clippers have a quality starting unit anchored by Chris Paul and Blake Griffin and a wonderful bench headlined by Jamal Crawford, the one area where they fall short is their frontcourt bench players.
Their backups to Griffin and DeAndre Jordan right now are Lamar Odom, Ryan Hollins and Ronny Turiaf. Combined, those three players average only 8.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. That’s not exactly great production from your three backup players in the frontcourt.
But with the addition of Millsap, who would presumably come off the bench and not supplant Jordan or Griffin in the starting lineup for the Clippers, they would be getting a guy who has averaged 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds in 30.4 minutes per game for the Jazz this season and also is a very talented and tenacious defender.
The only drawback to the trade would be giving up Bledsoe, who provides a solid backup to Paul and could potentially be Paul’s replacement if he were to leave when he becomes a free agent.
Bledsoe’s skills aren’t completely irreplaceable, though. And if the Clippers are able to address another need with a quality player like Millsap, who’s only 28-years old, it seems like a fair price to pay.
If the Clippers are smart, they will continue to pursue this trade aggressively. In the end, they might end up with Millsap and a legitimate chance to make it to the NBA Finals this season.
Cody Williams is a Senior NBA Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twittter @TheSizzle20 and like his Facebook page.
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