As the trade deadline nears closer, more and more NBA teams will inquire about Clippers backup point guard Eric Bledsoe.
Realistically, the Clippers won't trade Bledsoe unless they really get an offer that they can't refuse. After all, the Clippers are one of the top teams in the NBA, they have the deepest roster, and they don't have any glaring weaknesses. So as the saying goes, "If it ain't broken, don't fix it."
On the other hand, Bledsoe is a potential future All-Star whose talents are being wasted. He's averaging 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.8 steals a game per 36 minutes and has a PER of 20, but he's only playing 19 minutes a game behind MVP candidate Chris Paul. Keep in mind, Chauncey Billups hasn't even returned from injury yet.
Bledsoe is a great player, but the Clippers may never be able to take advantage of his potential. If Chris Paul re-signs, when Bledsoe hits the market as a restricted free agent in 2014 the Clippers will be forced to choose between overpaying a bench player or watching another team snatch him up.
In that sense, it may be worth it to the Clippers to at least explore a trade involving Bledsoe at this year's deadline. A lot of teams would show interest, and by pairing Bledsoe with a bad contract such as Caron Butler or Lamar Odom, the Clippers could probably net a nice return.
On that note, here are five NBA teams that should try to pry Eric Bledsoe away from the Clippers.
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