Denver Nuggets: 3 trade-up scenarios in the 2021 NBA Draft

Denver Nuggets 2021 draft trade-up scenarios: New Orleans salary dump Eric Bledsoe

Eric Bledsoe wasn’t spectacular this past season, I’m not breaking any news there. He’s owed $18.1 million next season and is partially guaranteed for $19.4 the following season.

That’s a lot of money for a player who has underperformed in each of his past two stops and especially for the New Orleans Pelicans who want to retain their own free agents in Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart this offseason.

There’s a world in which retaining both those free agents brings this New Orleans team to the salary cap with little-to-no way of meaningfully improving. That’s a horrible scenario to be in with the Pelicans firmly outside of the playoff discussion.

The trade here is to move Will Barton (if he picks up his Player Option) and the 26th pick for Bledsoe and the Pelican’s tenth pick.

The swap in picks is compensation for taking on the bad money that is Bledsoe’s contract and sending back the expiring (and cheaper) Barton. This gives NOLA a bit more wiggle room under the tax and freedom this offseason.

For the Nuggets, Bledsoe can step right in for the injured Jamal Murray next season and let him walk the following season if it doesn’t work out, opening up plenty of cap space to retool around the core.

If Bledsoe finds a long-term role on Denver, it’d be as the first guard off the bench or the defensive option next to Murray. Not the sort of job you want to pay close to $20 million per season for, but for the situation Denver’s in, it’s worth the price of admission.

What’s the price of admission? The tenth pick gives Denver a blue-chip prospect who could turn into a serious contributor down the line or be used in any future trades.