Eric Bledsoe came to the Memphis Grizzlies alongside Steven Adams in a trade that sent Jonas Vanas to New Orleans to play for the Pelicans. This trade also moved Memphis up in the draft, where they drafted a wing player in Ziaire Williams in one of the more surprising picks in 2021.
That said, the assumption that came along with Bledsoe in Memphis was simple — the veteran guard wouldn’t stick around for long. This was confirmed when Yahoo! Sports’ Chris Haynes reported that Bledsoe would, in fact, be gone come time for the regular season.
The general assumption was that Bledsoe would be involved in a pre-draft trade or draft day trade that sent Memphis into the top ten. Neither of those things would happen.
At this point, there’s really only a single logical option left. Because Memphis needs to save up for paydays to Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, among other players, the general assumption is that they’re only interesting in future assets, mainly draft picks. This turns heads toward the idea that Bledsoe’s main value to this team is as a trade asset that could bring the Grizzlies future draft picks.
What if the Memphis Grizzlies can’t find a suitable offer for Eric Bledsoe?
A couple of weeks ago, the solution seemed simple — trade Eric Bledsoe or eat the $4 million that is guaranteed on his contract, which would open up cap space to sign a free agent down the road.
Things, however, have not panned out as expected. With each passing day, it seems less likely that Memphis will find a trade for Bledsoe, which begs the question — could the Memphis Grizzlies consider keeping the veteran guard aboard?
This primarily depends on what the Grizzlies’ goals are. Does this team’s front office want to get their young players playoff experience that could help down the road or do they want to get stronger draft picks in upcoming drafts and continue to build? Trading away Jonas Valanciunas would imply the former, but the lack of a Bledsoe trade would imply the latter.
Even though Bledsoe doesn’t really fit on this team, he would elevate the Grizzlies, no doubt about it. This is a 31-year old guard who is coming off of back-to-back NBA All-Defensive appearances. Tyus Jones could make the argument that he is the best backup point guard in the league, but Bledsoe would be even better. The issue here is that Bledsoe isn’t a backup — he’d be a starter in a backup’s role.
At this point, it’s impossible to say what will happen. That said, Eric Bledsoe suiting up in a Grizzlies uniform seems more likely each day.