re: Eric Bledsoe's Trade Value

Clippers traded their best assets to replace him less than a year ago...

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I think we'd be wasting a bunch of value to upgrade from average to more distinctly average.

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The one hypothetical trade was giving up just Lopez to get Bledsoe, + having to take back Butler. He's overpaid ($8m), but only for one year, plus he's not a bad player (good article here on his value). So Lopez + take on an added $5m in cap space, but we'd still have Vasquez as a trade piece. That would give us something like $10m in cap space, possibly Vasquez, and the draft pick to do what we can to get a C that can play 20-25 minutes per game and a starting SF (or roll with Butler there for a year).

Bledsoe's 12 games as a starter this season-

62-153 shooting (40%)
7-16 from 3 (43%)
39-49 at the line (80%)
17 offensive boards, 41 defensive boards for 58 total boards
63 assists
30 steals
16 blocks
170 points


The per-game averages come out to 14.16 point a game off 40% shooting from the field and 80% at the line, a 3-pointer every other game, about 5.25 assists, 4 boards, 2.5 steals, and 1.33 blocks in 34.1 minutes.


Vasquez' numbers are as follows for 78 games started this season-

438-1012 shooting from the field (43%)
83-248 from 3 (33%)
124-154 from the line (80.5%)
43 offensive boards and 294 defensive boards for 337 total boards
704 assists
66 steals
6 blocks
1083 points

That's roughly 13.88 points a game, a 3 every game, 4.3 boards a game, 9 assists, .85 steals, and .08 blocks in 34.4 minutes a game.


Bledsoe gets more steals and blocks each game, but Vasquez makes more assists.


You have to get down to Bledsoe's defense vs. Vasquez' defense for Bledsoe to look significantly better and that depends on how much you think of the PER stat as a measure of defense.

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Let's see turnovers, as well.

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3.2 TO per 36 minutes this season.

...3, 4, and 4 in those last three games.

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You have to get down to Bledsoe's defense vs. Vasquez' defense for Bledsoe to look significantly better and that depends on how much you think of the PER stat as a measure of defense.

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I love Vasquez, but he's a liability on D. Bledsoe is a great defender by all accounts, and that shouldn't be under-valued.

This team's weakness was defense after all.

Bledsoe is better than Vasquez at everything but passing, and he's better at things that aren't necessarily in the box score--like beating his man and getting in the lane--opening up our offense to more than just Vasquez pick-and-roll majority of the time.


...I think Vasquez AND Bledsoe would be great on this team--not both as starters, but sharing minutes next season. Bledsoe could learn from Vasquez, and this team needs guard depth desperately. Then Vasquez takes his money elsewhere, and we have our PG.

I don't know how the team really feels about Lopez. He had a very good season on a good contract, but he was on a lottery team and couldn't get significant bench minutes on the Suns last season. Major pick-and-roll D and rebounding weakness, but very good offensively.

That, as well as center free agency plans and plans for Davis will have a big impact on what we are willing to give for Bledsoe, obviously.

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Bledsoe would be an upgrade over Vasquez, but not a significant enough upgrade to justify overpaying for him or giving away too much.

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Ya, you don't want to pay too much for anyone if you can avoid it.

...I think Bledsoe is worth Lopez and a #15-20 pick, easily. He could be the perfect over-performing starter on a pretty good contract (like Anderson) to go along with our studs--Davis and Gordon(??)

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I'd rather make an attempt at cousins.

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Me too, but that's not happening...New ownership will want to hold on to their best player.

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Wilson chandler

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I like him too, but he carries some questions as well (similar to Bledsoe)--started 14 games total over the last two seasons.

There's no real proof that he would be significantly better than an average starter for us....I think he would be, just like Bledsoe.

2008 #26 George Hill, #34 Mario Chalmers (top 5 PG by his own estimation ) #45 Goran Dragic
2009 #17 Jrue Holiday, #18 Ty Lawson, #19 Jeff Teague, #21 Darren Collison
2010 #18 Eric Bledsoe, #19 Avery Bradley, #28 Greivis Vasquez

The 2011 and 2012 drafts were a little light on PGs, but 3 years in a row a mid - late 1st was enough to land one of the many guys we've all been ready to move a bunch of assets or cap space for. The Pelicans aren't in Win Now mode. A PG upgrade may be a need, but it's a need that can and should wait if the cost is too high.

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I got you...you think Lopez and a top 20 pick is too much?

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Depends on the pick and whether we've acquired a replacement for Lopez first.


A lottery-protected first isn't necessarily too much to give up.

If we give up Lopez, we better have a big man to replace him besides Smith or Admunson.

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A lottery-protected first isn't necessarily too much to give up.

If we give up Lopez, we better have a big man to replace him besides Smith or Admunson.

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100% agree.

A lot of interest on this board in signing a FA center...or it could be Davis.