The Phoenix Suns are finalizing a deal to send guard Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks for center Greg Monroe, a protected 2018 first-round pick and a 2018 second-round pick, league sources told ESPN.
The teams reached an agreement in principle on terms of a deal late Monday night and were spending early Tuesday finalizing medical evaluations on the players involved before formalizing a trade, league sources said.
Bledsoe is not expected to play with the Bucks (4-5) on Tuesday night in Cleveland, multiple sources told ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. The plan is for Bledsoe to meet the Bucks in San Antonio on Wednesday. The Bucks play the Spurs on Friday.
Bledsoe has been away from the Suns (4-7) since general manager Ryan McDonough sent him home on Oct. 23. One day earlier, Bledsoe tweeted, “I don’t wanna be here.”
McDonough announced at the time that Bledsoe “won’t be with us going forward,” and said he didn’t believe Bledsoe’s explanation that he was tweeting about wanting to leave a hair salon.
McDonough reiterated on Oct. 31 that the Suns had no timetable for a potential trade involving Bledsoe.
Bledsoe previously had met with Suns owner Robert Sarver and McDonough during the preseason and requested a trade, sources told ESPN. Bledsoe was told by management, according to sources, that the team had underperformed ever since he was given starting point guard responsibilities.
Bledsoe, 27, averaged career highs in points (21.1), assists (6.3) and rebounds (4.8) last season, but the Suns (24-58) finished with the worst record in the Western Conference. It was the second consecutive season that Phoenix’s winning percentage was less than .300.
Monroe, 27, has played only five games this season and hasn’t played since Oct. 26 because of a left calf strain.
Monroe averaged 15.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game for Detroit and Milwaukee from 2011-12 through 2015-16. His production dipped last season, when he played 81 games without making a start.
Sources: Suns, Bucks finalizing Bledsoe deal
Sources: Suns, Bucks finalizing Bledsoe deal
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Source: ESPN SPORTS