SUNS 2014: Free Agency

[Gladiator]

The Heat don't have any money to spend. With Wade's cap hold, Bosh getting 20M, Deng getting 10M and the McBob and Granger contracts they can't even give him 12M per let alone a max contract for 5th year player.

he'll take less money to sign with the heat this year. how much money can the heat give bledsoe?

It doesn't matter. He's restricted. If he agrees to a lower offer with the Heat, we'll just match it.

I honestly think the FO did an effective job of scaring other teams away from making offers. They've played the process pretty perfectly. Now Bledsoe has no leverage.

Let's hope it works out better for the Suns than it did for New Orleans with Eric Gordon!

[carey]

FYI, that's Deng in the picture according to the whole internet.

[carey]

he'll take less money to sign with the heat this year. how much money can the heat give bledsoe?

The Heat can't give him any money. See below...

The salary cap is 63M this season.

They have $2.8M in contracts.
Napier is getting $1M.
Wade's cap hold $20.7M.
Bosh is getting $20.7M this year.
McBob is getting $5.3 this year.
Chalmers is getting $4M this year.
Granger is getting $1M (wow that's nothing.)
Deng is getting $10M this year.
Andersen is getting .. something.

So... $44.8M without Wade's cap hold and Andersen's money. Lets say Andersen gets... $4M that's 49M, leaving 14M for Wade. Wade ain't playing for $14M. How's Bledsoe gonna get money exactly??

[Gladiator]

FYI, that's Deng in the picture according to the whole internet.

Well that spoils our fun now, doesn't it?

[AmareIsGod]

* - Deng will be a member of the Miami Heat next season.

[INFORMER]

I honestly think the FO did an effective job of scaring other teams away from making offers. They've played the process pretty perfectly. Now Bledsoe has no leverage.

Possibly, but the Jazz did essentially the same thing and it didn't stop Charlotte.

I think it's more of a case of nearly every team in the league has someone they like playing point guard for their, and it doesn't make sense for them to throw big money at another point guard, especially one who's only played half a season as a starter and has had two major knee injuries in the first four years of his career.

Remember too that the Clippers couldn't get anything for him when they put him on the market. They tried to get Orlando to give up the #2 pick and Orlando wisely said no. They also tried to get Afflalo, but couldn't reach an agreement. For all media hype and mini-LeBron stuff, it seems the rest of the league doesn't love Bledsoe as much as Ryan does. Pity.

[Superbone]

What the heck is going on with the Suns and Bledsoe? When does the free agency period end? How is it that we haven't heard anything at this point?

[Superbone]

This Coro article answers some of my questions:

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/n ... /12660195/

[Ring_Wanted]

Coro didn't answer anything, really. We still don't know if the impasse is because
nobody wants Bledsoe,
nobody is getting close to what he demands,
he has a deal with some team that is trying to get cap space to sign him,
he has a deal with some team that is trying to negotiate a sign and trade,
the Suns are still negotiating with him,
the Suns have reached an agreement but want to take advantage of the favorable cap hold,
the player is leaning towards playing for the QO.

[ShelC]

Seems to be a very fluid situation. It has to do with other teams' capspace and either not having it, or wanting to preserve it. I'm sure Milwaukee would like him, but they don't have the money to make an offer we'd consider not matching, so why bother. Not a whole lot else out there. The Lakers probably should've made a play for him to pair him with Randle as a future duo but they spent on Hill and took on Lin to get space next year.

Overall though, I don't think teams are typically going to max out a PG that isn't theirs. Bledsoe doesn't have the cache of a Chris Paul or DRose or John Wall. He's in the Kyle Lowry tier for now and I don't think Lowry would've gotten 12mil on the open market.

We may be willing to let him play out the year on his QO and be an UFA next year. We've hedged our bets with Thomas and Ennis so we have leverage there. If he wants to risk long term security now, so be it. But will he have a good to great year and most importantly, stay healthy, to where a team next year will pay him what he wants?

I'm sure in the back of our minds, we know Dragic will re-sign in the 10-11 range, if not a little cheaper and we have Thomas on a great deal. We're not desperate to throw money at Bledsoe.

[carey]

I'm sure in the back of our minds, we know Dragic will re-sign in the 10-11 range, if not a little cheaper and we have Thomas on a great deal. We're not desperate to throw money at Bledsoe.

We do? I think that is the hope, but he'll be asking for the max.

[ShelC]

I think there's a good enough working relationship there where we'll get a good deal.

[INFORMER]

We may be willing to let him play out the year on his QO and be an UFA next year. We've hedged our bets with Thomas and Ennis so we have leverage there. If he wants to risk long term security now, so be it. But will he have a good to great year and most importantly, stay healthy, to where a team next year will pay him what he wants?

I'm sure in the back of our minds, we know Dragic will re-sign in the 10-11 range, if not a little cheaper and we have Thomas on a great deal. We're not desperate to throw money at Bledsoe.

Boy, I hope all of that is true.

[carey]

I'm going to suggest that none of it is. McDonough is clearly enamored with him. He tried to acquire him a number of times while in Boston. Bledsoe is clearly the type of PG he likes - extremely athletic, defensive minded, strong driving to the basket, jump shot not so much - that I think the only thing hanging this deal up is the injury history.

[Sunsfan4life]

I'm going to suggest that none of it is. McDonough is clearly enamored with him. He tried to acquire him a number of times while in Boston. Bledsoe is clearly the type of PG he likes - extremely athletic, defensive minded, strong driving to the basket, jump shot not so much - that I think the only thing hanging this deal up is the injury history.

McDonuagh is smart. If he was as enamored as you say he would of extended him back in September/October. If its between maxing Eric out or S&T him, I'm in the S&T camp, but I am hoping it doesn't come to that and a reasonable deal can be struck. With every passing day, Belief grows that this could be done in the 10-11mil range.

[Ring_Wanted]

You can't extend a backup to a 10M+ per contract, no matter how in love you are with the guy.

[Sunsfan4life]

You can't extend a backup to a 10M+ per contract, no matter how in love you are with the guy.

Sure you can. Especially one that no doubt was going to start for you and was only 23.

I'm not advocating it and am happy he laid off, but still lets not pretend this wasn't a scnerio back in October many of us were discussing on this board.

[carey]

Backup?

[Ring_Wanted]

You can't extend a backup to a 10M+ per contract, no matter how in love you are with the guy.

Sure you can. Especially one that no doubt was going to start for you and was only 23.

I'm not advocating it and am happy he laid off, but still lets not pretend this wasn't a scnerio back in October many of us were discussing on this board.

Making Bledsoe a starter doesn't guarantee you that he performs. That's why they didn't get the extension done. Bledsoe wanted to get paid like he was already proven and the Suns were not willing to spend beyond a certain point, which was the prudent approach and the one I would have taken too. The parties didn't agree to share the risk and here we are today, but at least we know that when the guy is healthy, he delivers. We could have a Tim Thomas situation instead.

[Sunsfan4life]

You can't extend a backup to a 10M+ per contract, no matter how in love you are with the guy.

Sure you can. Especially one that no doubt was going to start for you and was only 23.

I'm not advocating it and am happy he laid off, but still lets not pretend this wasn't a scnerio back in October many of us were discussing on this board.

Making Bledsoe a starter doesn't guarantee you that he performs. That's why they didn't get the extension done. Bledsoe wanted to get paid like he was already proven and the Suns were not willing to spend beyond a certain point, which was the prudent approach and the one I would have taken too. The parties didn't agree to share the risk and here we are today, but at least we know that when the guy is healthy, he delivers. We could have a Tim Thomas situation instead.

Oh I agree with you 100%...and I didn't want to extend him, I'm just saying people keep saying McD is all about The Bled-show...sure I think he "likes" him and is pretty proud he fleeced the clippers for him, but if he was putting all his chips blindly in his basket he would of extended him then. I think 10 or 11 is what Bledsoe's agent was asking for...