Does LeBron Working Out With Eric Bledsoe Mean He Knows Something We Don’t?

“2013 Cleveland Cavaliers 1” and “2013 Phoenix Suns 1” by Michael Tipton are licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0

LeBron James invited his newest teammate, Derrick Rose, to work out with him in Las Vegas. This invitation makes sense since it’s been a while since the two have played together. They’ve played on All-Star teams together, but those kind of team situations are much different. The way Derrick Rose plays the game has also changed quite a bit since then. James and Rose need to build some chemistry before the season starts, and LeBron is making sure that chemistry comes sooner rather than later.

What makes these workouts even more interesting, is that Phoenix Suns point guard, Eric Bledsoe, has also been invited to work out with them. Inviting Bledsoe to workout with them makes me wonder if LeBron knows something we don’t.

These workouts are happening soon after the breaking news that Kyrie Irving wants to be traded. The Phoenix Suns have been one of the rumored teams with interest in acquiring Kyrie Irving. Eric Bledsoe is rumored to be one of the pieces being considered in those trade talks.

While Phoenix isn’t one of the teams Kyrie Irving has asked to be traded to, he doesn’t have much control over where he goes. The Cleveland Cavaliers have to do what’s best for their team. If they feel like making a trade with Phoenix is their best option, then that’s what they should do.

Is LeBron Preparing For What Might Be?

LeBron James has always had a big impact on how this Cleveland Cavaliers team has been built. While LeBron has come out and said he’s going to let management handle the Kyrie situation, I feel like they might be keeping him in the loop. If the Cavaliers are set on making a deal with the Suns, there’s a good chance they’ve let LeBron know. If this is the case, it easily explains why Eric Bledsoe has been invited to workout with LeBron and Derrick Rose. Knowing that Bledsoe is going to be his teammate in just a matter of time, makes this invitation a smart move by LeBron. They can start getting that chemistry built up right away.

Is it possible that LeBron is working out with Eric Bledsoe to see if they’d be a good fit together? Maybe. Maybe management is asking for LeBron’s approval on this trade. After working out together, LeBron goes to management and says he either wants or doesn’t want to play with Bledsoe. LeBron has worked out with Bledsoe in the past, so I can’t see him not wanting to play along side him.

Maybe LeBron doesn’t know anything. Maybe he’s preparing for the what if of this situation. Phoenix looks to be one of the biggest players in the Kyrie Irving trade scenario. Even if they are ahead of all the other teams right now, it doesn’t mean that a deal will get done for sure. Even if a deal between these two teams doesn’t work out, it’s still smart of LeBron to invite Bledsoe to these workouts. It’s possible that Bledsoe could be his teammate. If he does become his teammate, the two will already have some chemistry working together. If they don’t become teammates, at least LeBron prepared for what could have been.

There’s Got to Be More Than Bledsoe, Right?

If the Cavaliers do end up making a trade with the Phoenix Suns, it’s likely that Eric Bledsoe is included in that deal. Bledsoe is one of the more underrated point guards in the league. This past season was a career year for him. Bledsoe averaged 21.1 points and 6.3 assists per game, both of which are career highs. The Cavaliers need to get better on defense, and defense is one of Bledsoe’s strengths.

While Bledsoe is a good player, he’s not on the same level as Kyrie Irving. The Cavaliers would likely want more. There were reports of the Suns being willing to trade Eric Bledsoe and rookie Josh Jackson for Kyrie, but there has been a more recent report saying Jackson won’t be part of any deal for the Cavs star.

If not Josh Jackson, then who? Maybe a draft pick or two? The Cavs might ask for Devin Booker to be thrown in there, but I think that might be too high of an asking price for the Suns. If the Cavaliers and Suns are seriously considering making a trade, I think this might be the hold up. The Suns don’t want to give up too much, but Cleveland wants to make sure they get enough for Kyrie.

Regardless of what LeBron knows, or what happens between the two teams, it’s smart to include Bledsoe in these offseason workouts. If LeBron and Bledsoe become teammates, they’re ahead of the game. If they don’t, at least they were ready for it. The Kyrie Irving drama is just another exciting part of this NBA offseason. I don’t expect this to go on much longer, but for right now, all we can do is speculate.