Would Knicks consider Eric Bledsoe for No. 4 pick swap?

Could the New York Knicks move their draft pick for a more established player on draft day? Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe could be one of those players.

When the New York Knicks ended up with No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, their chances at getting one of the top players in the draft that they coveted greatly diminished.

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While the No. 4 pick will land a great talent, and is a position other teams covet in the draft, the Knicks may want to add a more established player to their roster to put alongside Carmelo Anthony instead.

Guys like Karl Anthony-Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D’Angelo Russell are expected to be the top-3 players in the draft. All are guys New York would love to pair next to Anthony as they continue to rebuild their team. However, with Anthony getting older and the odds that none of those players will be there when they pick, there stands a chance they could pass on guys like Willie Cauley-Stein and Kristaps Porzingis, who may not be as much of a sure thing.

So instead of a full-blown rebuild, the Knicks could take the route of adding a dynamic player via trade for their pick. A move that could potentially put them back in the playoffs if they add another good piece alongside Carmelo Anthony.

One of those players that they could target could be a player like Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe. While there has been no direct links between the Knicks and Bledsoe, it’s the type of move that ESPN’s Chad Ford thinks the Knicks would look at.

"Noah (L.A.) Sounds like the Suns like Knight more than Bledsoe. Any way they could use him and 13 to swap picks with the Knicks? Chad Ford (1:28 PM) I definitely think that could be an option. That’s the sort of deal the Knicks would look at. But for cap reasons, would have to happen after the draft."

At first glance, it’s a move that could make sense for both sides. Adding Bledsoe alongside Anthony would give the Knicks a blossoming young point guard that could soon become an All-Star in this league. With Bledsoe, the Knicks would have a point guard that is entering the second year of a 5-year/$70 million contract he signed last off-season. With the salary cap hike increase coming, that deal could almost become a steal.

Last season Bledsoe averaged 17.0 PPG, 6.1 APG and 5.2 RPG. His biggest problem was turnovers and his ability to shoot from three. However, after being injured the season before, it was really Bledsoe’s first year running the show at point guard.

This is a move that could potentially make sense for the Suns too. They traded for Brandon Knight at the deadline, and many question whether or not the two-point guard system is reaching its end in the desert. Knight didn’t play much in Phoenix because an ankle injury ended his season short, but the team liked what they saw from him when he was on the court.

The Suns are also on the perpetual treadmill of mediocrity in the NBA, which is the very last place that any franchise wants to be. They’re too good to get a good pick in the lottery, but they are not quite good enough to make the playoffs. With consistent No. 13 and No. 14 picks, it doesn’t feel like the team is going anywhere anytime soon, and it might be best for the team to trade off their one true trade asset to have a shot at drafting a high end young talent. It might be a step back in the present, but it could be a big step forward in the future to take the team out of mediocrity.

So if the Knicks do indeed decide to trade their pick on draft night, or draft a player for a team to trade after the draft, these are the types of deals they will be looking at. Is there a deal to be made with Phoenix?

[H/T: ESPN]

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