Recent NBA rumors suggest the Utah Jazz turned down a blockbuster trade with the Phoenix Suns that included two big names.
According to Marc Stein, the Utah Jazz turned down a trade that would have sent Eric Bledsoe and a lottery pick to Utah for Gordon Hayward. The Suns seem dead set on moving either Eric Bledsoe or Brandon Knight this offseason, as the pair haven’t blended well on the court.
Sources say Phoenix, in its failed trade pitch to convince Utah to surrender Gordon Hayward, tried to pair Eric Bledsoe with a lottery pick
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 23, 2016
The reported offer to the Jazz is a very interesting one, as even though Bledsoe was injured last season, he is a very talented player. Before getting hurt last season, Bledsoe averaged 20.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 4.0 rebounds per game. Bledsoe is one of the best guards in the NBA at stuffing every category of the stat sheet, as his superior athleticism makes him a great rebounder for a guard.
Like Bledsoe, Hayward is also a very good all-around player. Last season he averaged 19.7 points, 3.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game. The stats for Hayward were very impressive last season on the slow-paced Jazz, who are certainly built on defense.
If this trade were to have happened, it would have been a very interesting one with two borderline All-Stars from differing systems being swapped. Bledsoe is certainly best-suited in a fast-paced offense, which might have been one of the reasons the Jazz turned down the offer.
Hayward, who has the skills to thrive in almost any system, would certainly have fit nicely in the fast-paced offense in Phoenix. The Suns aren’t the only team that has shown interest in Hayward this offseason, and the Jazz could get quite the haul for their talented small forward if they desire to move him.
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