very good news on the rockets front. probably kills the lakers clippers dwight trade. magic win this one big time, but it also makes sense for the clipps who need a 3 and D SG much more than they need a backup PG. afflalo is probably the best young SG they could find for bledoe.
Per Mark Heisler: Eric Bledsoe and Caron Butler are expected to be packaged in a draft-day trade for Orlando’s Arron Afflalo, addressing the Clipper need for a shooting guard. With less likelihood of finding a high post center to clear room underneath for Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan figures to remain the starter. Meanwhile, the Clips will look for a three-point shooting power forward—a “stretch four.”
Freakishly athletic and has very good basketball skills. His main problem is his ability to get himself under control, but that's something a good coach can help him with. I believe Doc Rivers wants to keep him and start him at the SG spot so they may not trade him at all. No chance the Clippers will trade him and Blake for Dwight Howard. Plus, Dwight will never agree to leave the Lakers to join the Clippers. There's too much prestige in playing for the Lakers even if they suck.
Not likely going to be a Clippers/Lakers deal involving Blake Griffin so I think the odds are still the same for the Rockets to get Howard. That said, odds are low that Howard will leave the Lakers no matter what the media likes to stir up.
I don't think it was a bad trade for either side. The Clippers have been hurting for a decently-sized Shooting Guard that can hold his own on defense, so getting Arron Afflalo is what they needed. Losing Eric Bledsoe will hurt the Clippers a bit because of his defense and energy, but it's not as big a loss as people think. He still has difficulty with creating shots for his teammates and shooting, which is going to be detrimental for the Magic if they expect him to play the traditional Point Guard role from the get-go. Plus, Bledsoe will also be looking for a much bigger paycheck after this coming season, which would hurt the Clippers' efforts in signing decent role players for their win-now mode. Despite that, the Magic still do well in this trade because they can take their time grooming Bledsoe into a starting Point Guard while solidifying their core with the other young players they have. They also gain Caron Butler's expiring contract and the veteran leadership he can bring.
Magic are definitely taking one of the top shooting guards. This really shines light on how bad their haul for Dwight was. I like Affalo, especially if he's on a team where he just has to play D.
I'm up in the air on Bledsoe. I see the positives to his game, but the fact of the matter is he's kind of a project and any team that ends up with him is going to have to pay him soon.
I am still trying to figure out where all this love for Afflalo is coming from? Solid wingman? Yes! But low ceiling. These guys are almost a dime a dozen. Is he any different than Courtney Lee? Bledsoe is still young. He has WAY more upside/ceiling. Afflalo is just not good enough value in return in my opinion.
Clippers likely see themselves as a contender, and they don't need the young upside as much as they need to find the right pieces around CP3. They could be wrong (I think they are) about being a contender, but the thinking isn't whack. This is very much like the Rockets going after the right piece in Battier.
Bledsoe is a free agent next year isn't he? Orlando will have to give him a significant pay raise or he walks? Could get complicated.
FWIW, a Bledsoe/Butler-for-Afflalo trade reduces the Clippers' team salary by about $3 million or so for next season. That extra "wiggle room" may better enable the Clippers to put their MLE to use (perhaps even using their Nontaxpayer MLE again) this summer to acquire another important rotation piece.
Link The Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Clippers have been discussing the possibility of completing a trade headlined by Magic shooting guard Arron Afflalo and prized L.A. point guard Eric Bledsoe in conjunction with Thursday's NBA draft, according to sources close to the process. Sources told ESPN.com on Tuesday that a trade with those two players as the principles could happen as soon as this week and potentially could be expanded to include Magic forward Andrew Nicholson and a future first-round pick as compensation for the highly coveted Bledsoe. But the long-awaited arrival of Doc Rivers as the Clippers' new coach and senior vice president of basketball operations could push any Bledsoe trade into July -- or maybe even longer -- because Rivers is a well-known Bledsoe fan who has indicated he'd like to keep Bledsoe around if possible. The greater likelihood remains, however, that keeping Bledsoe around as Chris Paul's very capable backup is a luxury that the Clippers won't be able to afford as they continue to try to construct a roster with title-contending staying power. It's been a working assumption in league circles that the Clippers would try to trade Bledsoe before next season as soon as they were certain that Paul would re-sign this summer after becoming a free agent July 1. ... Clippers veteran forward Caron Butler would likely be included in the deal to make the salary cap math work, but sources say the teams are discussing a variety of options. And Rivers, just handed a large say in personnel matters by the Clippers, has to weigh in. Bledsoe is eligible to sign a contract extension this summer with the Clippers or any team that acquires him between mid-July and Halloween that would prevent him from reaching restricted free agency in 2014. The Clippers have previously resisted virtually all trade interest in Bledsoe to guard against the prospect of Paul leaving the organization via free agency, but the triumphant ending to L.A.'s drawn-out pursuit of Rivers has alleviated those doubts.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Repeating what I said last night: I'd be very surprised if a trade headlined by Bledsoe + Afflalo occurs as early as Thurs.</p>— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) <a href="https://twitter.com/JoshuaBRobbins/statuses/349705322237149184">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Magic giving up Arron Afflalo, Andrew Nicholson and a future 1st way too much just to land Eric Bledsoe from Clippers.</p>— Brian K. Schmitz (@MagicInsider) <a href="https://twitter.com/MagicInsider/statuses/349705845002612737">June 26, 2013</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
