Although Phoenix Suns GM Ryan McDonough banished Eric Bledsoe from the team, trade rumors about the point guard have been alive and well since then. The latest rumor, which circulated yesterday, had the Suns possibly interested in trading Bledsoe to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Reggie Jackson.
It’s not the first time Jackson has had his name in trade talks in his career, as he experienced that both as the No. 1 backup in Oklahoma City and last season with the Pistons. Coach Stan Van Gundy addressed the Jackson trade talks today and made it clear that Detroit is not looking to swap Jackson for Bledsoe anytime soon.
Rod Beard of The Detroit News has more on the Jackson-Bledsoe chatter:
It was reminiscent of last season, when similar rumors surfaced about Jackson being shopped around the league during the trade deadline and after the season.
“It was crazy yesterday,” Van Gundy said Friday. “I left practice yesterday and there’s a rumor out on Reggie and Bledsoe so I had to get home and call Reggie and say we’re not trading you for Bledsoe. I don’t usually address all of them but it’s early in the (season). You can’t address all of them at the trade deadline, but I felt the need to address this.”
Van Gundy has said in the past that general manager Jeff Bower does his due diligence in reaching out about trade possibilities — and in this case, there may have been preliminary talks — but nothing came to fruition.
Van Gundy also made it clear that front offices talking to each other is part of the job, but just because that takes place it does not mean a trade is looming.
“You always consider everything,” Van Gundy said. “I’ve said it before and it’s absolutely true: At least 99 percent of the rumors that come out on trades never come to fruition. If Jeff Bower talks to anybody — to (Celtics president) Danny Ainge — there’s a rumored Boston trade.
“These guys talk to each other every day — that’s what they do.”
Jackson said he hadn’t heard about any of the rumors before Van Gundy contacted him at about 3 p.m. Thursday.
“I don’t pay attention and really don’t care (about rumors),” Jackson said. “Everybody’s media nowadays. Anybody can write anything and it can go on the web. That’s the beauty and downfall of the internet. Who cares? Everybody’s going to talk and have their own opinion.
“I’m still in Detroit and still here to compete and make my team the best it can be. If something else happens, it happens. That’s not something I’m concerned about.”
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