Suns, Eric Bledsoe Far Apart In Talks

[AzStevenCal]

I still think it's much ado about nothing. If someone offers us a fair value trade, we'll make a deal. If not, we'll wait them out. We're still not up against a deadline yet and until we are, I'm just not all that concerned.

Steve

 

[Errntknght]

It isn't a good spot for the Suns to be in but Eric's agent has put him between a rock and a hard place, as the saying goes. If he accepts the QO he needs to have a stellar year to have any hope of getting anything near the max but the Suns will have no incentive to let him shine - if Thomas and Dragic work fairly well together, he could easily be out of a starting spot. If Bled gets paired with Thomas, he'll have to tackle him to get the ball. Thomas is probably the better offensive player of the two, as well.

A S&T doesn't seem at all likely - who would offer him near the max and send something of value to Phoenix for the right to overpay him. I imagine Suns offered to substitute him for Dragic in return for Hibbert... that would be the kind of situation it would take - a team that was very eager to shed a high priced player. But I think the last thing Indiana would consider is taking on another massive salary. I wonder if they would have considered swapping our rights to negotiate with Bledsoe for their right to negotiate with Stevenson. That would have been fun!
I'm not sure there'd be any takers for a S&T at $52/4 with some value coming to us.

Here's an interesting question at this point, if some team offered him 56/4 now, would the Suns match it? Would you want them to match? If some team truly wanted him at that price, it would have been a clever move to let us marinate this long... and the 3 day waiting period wouldn't be significant now.

 

[Chaplin]

Coro has speculated that the Suns MIGHT go as high as 50-55 over 4, but that's it.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Coro has speculated that the Suns MIGHT go as high as 50-55 over 4, but that's it.

I think I said a little while ago that when all's said and done, 55 for 4 is what ends up being the deal.

it's a nasty negotiation to be sure, but I still feel like both sides are playing chicken and eventually, the guy with injury problems, who hasn't made a big payday in his career yet is going to blink first.

and then we'll have to deal with his haters here hating on him more then ever and likely blaming him for every loss that happens next season.

 

[Cheesebeef]

the worst part about Bledsoe leaving or getting trade is we likely just continue to be exactly what we've been for the last 4 years... a middling team that's not good enough to make the playoffs and not bad enough to get an impact player in the draft.

 

[elindholm]

I was looking over rosters for a big whose team might be ready to move him for Bledsoe, and the best fit I could come up with was the Bucks' Larry Sanders. Very risky and probably not worth it, but it is at least a possible scenario. Any interest?

 

[AzStevenCal]

I was looking over rosters for a big whose team might be ready to move him for Bledsoe, and the best fit I could come up with was the Bucks' Larry Sanders. Very risky and probably not worth it, but it is at least a possible scenario. Any interest?

I think a deal for Sanders and Knight makes sense, perhaps for both teams. Sanders is a huge risk but I think it's worth it. Then I'd turn around and move Ennis for a future pick as it's probably too much to develop that many young guards (Knight, Ennis and Goodwin) at the same time.

Steve

 

[JCSunsfan]

Coro has speculated that the Suns MIGHT go as high as 50-55 over 4, but that's it.

They need to say 4/48 is the highest they will go, and if he gets a higher offer they will not likely match.

Get an offer. Match. Done.

I learned something from this free agency. Saying you will match any offer is not the best strategy. You can say you really want to keep him etc. But that strategy really alienates your player. If you leave the door open, then he can't blame his lack of offers on the team.

 

[Mainstreet]

If one has not listened to the "The Podium Game Podcast" featuring Paul Coro & Vince Goodwill it is worth the listen as it covers the Bledsoe situation in detail as well as Greg Monroe.

http://thepodiumgame.com/2014/08/21/podium-game-podcast-restricted-free-agency-edition/

 

[Chaplin]

I've just been getting alerts on my phone that we contacted the Wolves again to ask about Kevin Love for Bledsoe sign-and-trade. If they're smart, the Wolves just hung up the phone, but it's nice to see us making the effort.

 

[Phrazbit]

Per ESPN we just tried to get Love as part of a Bledsoe sign and trade.

 

[Mainstreet]

I've just been getting alerts on my phone that we contacted the Wolves again to ask about Kevin Love for Bledsoe sign-and-trade. If they're smart, the Wolves just hung up the phone, but it's nice to see us making the effort.

Maybe the Suns are just trying to make it a bigger trade.

 

[Cheesebeef]

If one has not listened to the "The Podium Game Podcast" featuring Paul Coro & Vince Goodwill it is worth the listen as it covers the Bledsoe situation in detail as well as Greg Monroe.

http://thepodiumgame.com/2014/08/21/podium-game-podcast-restricted-free-agency-edition/

how about bullet points for those of us who don't have time to listen?

 

[KloD]

funny thing about the Love/Bledsoe offer rumor, Suns want to use one Rich Paul client to damage another (Lebron) chances of competing for a ring.

Sadly the Suns are going to have to lower their expectations of what they can get for Bledsoe, but at least they are trying.

 

[Mainstreet]

how about bullet points for those of us who don't have time to listen?

Really need to listen to get all the details and nuances. However, here are some:

*Suns not able to negotiate with Bledsoe directly.

*Huge chasm on salary.

*Suns desired to keep Bledsoe

*Bledsoe may be upset with offers to Haywood and Parsons.

*Two many quality PGs in league hurts his value.

*Bledsoe's health may be a concern to other teams.

*Sign and trade is a new emphasis in regard to Bledsoe.

*Suns have always been open to sign trade for value.

*If Ryan McDonough was fully in charge would Bledsoe have been signed?
Sarver likes to be involved with players.

*Agent doesn’t want to backtrack as they have maintained they want a max contract.

*Maybe there is a better explanation than what we know.

*Bledsoe being more open might have put more pressure for the Suns to sign him. He never openly embraced the Suns although he like coaches and players.

*If Bledsoe had one more start it would have upped his QO about 1.5 M.

*Coro doesn’t think the Suns will find value in a sign and trade.

*In a year the Suns could lose both Dragic and Bledsoe. This could really hurt.

*If losing Bledsoe, the Suns would not be considered a playoff team. Even with Bledsoe the Suns may not be a playoff team.

*Lament loss of Frye and and agree Tolliver is not replacing Frye.
_________________________________________________

IMO, too much love given to Frye for the price.

 

[Ronin]

*In a year the Suns could lose both Dragic and Bledsoe. This could really hurt.

Is Dragic UFA or a RFA next year?

 

[Shaggy]

They better try to figure out away to keep Dragic if he is going out next year as a UFA. If they lose both him and Bledsoe, it will hurt this team. With Thomas and Dragic, I think they suns can be a decent team this year if Bledsoe doesn't play this year.

 

[JCSunsfan]

Is Dragic UFA or a RFA next year?

ufa

I hate free agency. It brings out the ugly in the nba.

 

[Mainstreet]

Is Dragic UFA or a RFA next year?

Dragic has a player option for the 2015/16 season. It is likely he will choose to become a free agent because in all likelihood, he will make more money going this route.

 

[elindholm]

If Dragic plays at the same level this coming season as he did last year, the Suns should just max him out. Pretty easy call really.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Really need to listen to get all the details and nuances. However, here are some:

*Suns not able to negotiate with Bledsoe directly.

*Huge chasm on salary.

*Suns desired to keep Bledsoe

*Bledsoe may be upset with offers to Haywood and Parsons.

If Bledsoe's upset about offer made to Haywood and Parsons, he's got no one to be at but himself. That only goes to prove that RFAs CAN get big offers even if their teams can match.

 

[Superbone]

If Dragic plays at the same level this coming season as he did last year, the Suns should just max him out. Pretty easy call really.

Agreed. Dragic might even give us a hometown discount but I'm not counting on it. At least we know he likes it here.

 

[Cheesebeef]

Agreed. Dragic might even give us a hometown discount but I'm not counting on it. At least we know he likes it here.

people keep saying this about a hometown discount, but I think it ignores the reality that he's never gotten a HUGE payday and this will be his last big contract that he gets to sign. he'll look for as much money as everyone else in his position would and he'll be right to.

 

[KloD]

I know it won't happen and maybe I'm the only one interested, but I'd have loved to see the Suns be able to get Wiggins/Bennett for Bledsoe by being the 4th team in the trade and giving Minn. Bledsoe. Unfortunately we'll not likely get anything near that for him. More likely someone like Larry Sanders (which I know was mentioned earlier today in this thread). It's funny, a few weeks ago I did the same in looking through rosters and kept coming back to the Bucks as out most likely chance of getting a big for Bledsoe. At this point I think we'd have to concider ourselves lucky to get Sanders for him. Hope I'm wrong, but I don't see a team giving us much for him.

 

[Mainstreet]

people keep saying this about a hometown discount, but I think it ignores the reality that he's never gotten a HUGE payday and this will be his last big contract that he gets to sign. he'll look for as much money as everyone else in his position would and he'll be right to.

I'm just hoping Dragic will talk to us if he becomes a free agent unlike Bledsoe. (sarcasm hopefully)