Did 76ers drop the ball by not trading for Eric Bledsoe?

Even if it was a long shot, it’s tough not to wonder what could have been with Eric Bledsoe on the Philadelphia 76ers.

As the Philadelphia 76ers prepare for Tuesday’s game against the Utah Jazz, the hottest topic of discussion surrounding the NBA at the moment is the recent trade involving the Phoenix Suns that sent Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks. In exchange for Bledsoe, the Bucks sent Greg Monroe and a protected first-round pick to the Suns, which isn’t a bad deal at all.

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Ever since Bledsoe posted that interesting tweet about not wanting to be in Phoenix, it was tough not to consider the possibility of the guard potentially ending up in Philadelphia, especially when looking at all of the crazy trades made by the team over the last few years. Not only has Bledsoe proven to be an effective scorer at times throughout his career, but the former Kentucky standout is coming off a big 2016-17 season in which he set a career high by averaging 21.1 points per game.

While the Sixers obviously won’t take time on the court away from players like Ben Simmons or J.J. Redick, there are other individuals, such as Jerryd Bayless, that Bledsoe would arguably have been an upgrade over. Plus, with all of the trade rumors surrounding Jahlil Okafor after the center has made it clear he wants out of Philadelphia, one can only assume the team could have figured out a way to put together some sort of deal with Phoenix involving Bledsoe.

Next: Should 76ers make a play at Kyle Anderson?

Only time will tell when it comes to whether this deal will payoff for Bledsoe and the Bucks, but at least for the mean time, the Sixers are still one of the hottest teams in the NBA at the moment by entering Tuesday’s game on a four-game winning streak. After losing four of their first five games to start the season, Philadelphia fans have every reason in the world to be thrilled over the direction this team is moving, even if Bledsoe isn’t part of the picture.