The Milwaukee Bucks reportedly have O.J. Mayo and Ersan Ilyasova on the trade block. Although the Bucks were reported as one of the teams interested in Phoenix Suns restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, Joel Brigham of BasketballInsiders.com reported several teams -- possibly including Milwaukee -- are nervous about Bledsoe's injury history.
Milwaukee is in the midst of a rebuild, which seemingly will be focused around rookie Jabari Parker. Mayo and Ilyasova, who both still have trade value, however, appear unlikely to be in the Bucks' long-term plans.
"Both are being shopped," Brigham wrote Thursday. "Ilyasova should have been traded like three years ago, but ownership loved him so much that they wouldn't let him go. These days he's not quite as valuable as he used to be, but he's still a piece that can be sold off for something.
"Mayo hasn't worked out the way Milwaukee hoped he would, but his contract isn't completely untradeable and they'd certainly like to get a player back that can actually play, or at least an asset that can help them move forward with their rebuilding."
Ilyasova is guaranteed $7.9 million in each of the next two seasons, and Mayo is due to make $16 million over the next two seasons.
On the trade front, ESPN named Milwaukee as a potential suitor for Bledsoe. Milwaukee doesn't have enough salary cap space to sign Bledsoe to the max deal he reportedly wants and would likely need to entice Phoenix into a sign-and-trade for the point guard.
One possible holdup from Milwaukee essentially going all-in to acquire Bledsoe, though, reportedly is the 24-year-old's injury history.
"...With Bledsoe's injury history, there's a chance that he ends up hurt and then you can't move him and a big chunk of your cap space has been eaten up," Brigham said of any team trying to acquire Bledsoe.
Phoenix reiterated on Monday their intention to re-sign Bledsoe and match any offer sheet a team might offer him.
