The Trail Blazers have been looking for a trade partner to take Eric Bledsoe for weeks, going back to before the NBA Draft, but to no avail.
Bledsoe has a $19.4 million contract for next season but only $3.9 million is guaranteed. That changes on July 10 when the full contract becomes locked in. Faced with a decision to pay him the entire amount to be a third point guard or let him walk, the Trail Blazers will waive Bledsoe, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
The Portland Trail Blazers plan to waive guard Eric Bledsoe ahead of his guarantee date approaching, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. Entering his 13th NBA season, several teams are expected to pursue Bledsoe as a free agent.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 6, 2022
Bledsoe can be traded before Sunday, however, that team likely would do it for the financial savings and waive him.
Bledsoe, 32, will be entering his 13th NBA season. He averaged 9.9 points a game for the Clippers last season, but once he was traded to Portland he never touched the floor. He was put on the injured list with a strained Achilles, even though the Clippers had not previously listed that injury. He was never part of the Trail Blazers’ plans, they just wanted his contract to either trade or save money with themselves.
A team needing a backup point guard at a reasonable price will likely bring Bledsoe in for next season.
