Milwaukee • A person with knowledge of the deal says the Phoenix Suns have agreed to trade disgruntled guard Eric Bledsoe to the Milwaukee Bucks for big man Greg Monroe and two 2018 draft picks.
The deal includes a protected first-round and a protected second-round draft pick, according to the person who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity because the trade first reported by ESPN had not yet been finalized.
Bledsoe has not been with the team since Oct. 22 when he posted “I Don’t wanna be here” on Twitter, the same day the Suns fired coach Earl Watson. He had been averaging 15.7 points per game, second behind Devin Booker, and was the team’s on-court leader.
Milwaukee Bucks' Greg Monroe shoots the ball over Charlotte Hornets' Cody Zeller during the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, April 10, 2017, in Milwaukee. The Bucks defeated the Hornets 89-79. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)
Adding Bledsoe will take some of the focus off of do-it-all All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is the Bucks’ primary ball-handler. Milwaukee has lost four of its last five games but adding Bledsoe’s scoring ability alongside Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton on a team that also includes rising guard Malcolm Brogdon could help. The Bucks played at Cleveland on Tuesday night.
Monroe, who joined the team as a free agent in 2015, has been sidelined recently because of a left calf strain. Milwaukee will likely look to consolidate the center position and look ahead to early next year when the front line should get a boost with the return of injured forward Jabari Parker.