Suns acquire Bledsoe, Butler from Clippers
Guard Eric Bledsoe and forward Caron Butler were traded from the Los Angeles Clippers to the Phoenix Suns in a three-team trade that became official Wednesday.
Bledsoe, 23, was the centerpiece of a deal that involved Jared Dudley to the Clippers and a future second-round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks. In addition, the Bucks receive another second-round pick from the Clippers and agree to sign-and-trade guard JJ Redick to Los Angeles.
The Clippers coveted perimeter shooting to balance the floor and play off of drive-and-dish point guard Chris Paul. New coach Doc Rivers ran set plays for Ray Allen in Boston to maximize his deft shooting from 3-point range and likely envisions a like approach with Redick.
The Suns are rebuilding with a new general manager and head coach, Jeff Hornacek, heading the turnarond. At the center of the plan of Ryan McDonough is a bounty of draft picks in the next three drafts.
"We are thrilled to add Eric and Caron to the Phoenix Suns," said McDonough. "They were both key parts of the Clippers team that set a franchise record for wins last season and we are excited to add their athleticism, shooting, and leadership to our organization."
The second-round pick conveyed by the Suns is the 2014 pick received by Phoenix from Toronto in the Sebastian Telfair trade in February 2013.
Bledsoe was discussed in multiple trade scenarios. He played behind Paul and split minutes with Jamal Crawford off the bench with the Clippers. He's an excellent defensive player and has potential to develop an all-around offensive game. Bledsoe has a 78-inch wingspan and a 40-inch vertical leap. He established new career bests in scoring (8.5), rebounds (3.0) and steals (1.43) and added 3.1 assists in 76 appearances, 64 off the bench, last season.
