With the NBA trade deadline just days away, the Los Angeles Clippers using this time to explore a trade that will send guard Eric Bledsoe in a trade to the Utah Jazz for forward Paul Milsap.
According to ESPN, sources revealed Saturday that there is a level of mutual interest between the Clippers and Jazz in exploring the deal. Although two sources with knowledge of the Clippers' thinking insisted during All-Star Weekend that Bledsoe would not be moved in coming days, two other sources indicated the Clippers and Jazz will at least discuss the feasibility of a trade headlined by Bledsoe and Millsap before the deadline.
The Clippers have been telling teams for weeks that they value Bledsoe to highly to move him, given the fact he's playing behind Chris Paul and is only expected to continue to improve. But rival executives have been pessimistic about the likelihood of prying Bledsoe away until Paul is signed to a long-term deal, which won't happen until July. Bledsoe himself, isn't a restricted free agent until summer 2014, which is said to only add to the desire of Clippers management to be patient.
The appeal of Millsap, by contrast, is he'd conceivably help the Clippers in the frontcourt immediately, as well as in the future because of his age (28). Utah's interest in finding a good young point guard, meanwhile, is an open secret around the league that has led to longstanding speculation that either Millsap or Al Jefferson would be moved by the deadline, given that both are scheduled to become free agents such as Paul in July.
