Eric Bledsoe [RFA]

[INFORMER]

R_W: You detail having more $40 million in cap holds. That's flexibility. You don't have to keep any of those players. Or you can keep them all. Or you can keep some of them. Ultimately, you look at what free agents are actually willing to come to your team, and you make a decision whether the guys you have are better or worse.

Look, this is getting silly. I'm not hellbent on adding Ilyasova. And that's not the only package Milwaukee can offer in a sign and trade for Bledsoe. Generally speaking, I think the Suns are in a position to take on salary. They shouldn't do so indiscriminately, but I think they have a cap situation that allows them to take on a not so favorable deal AND still be able to add an impact player in the 2015 offseason.

[Ring_Wanted]

The players whose rights could be renounced are Goran Dragic, Gerald Green, the twins and Knight. 40M sound like a ton but it is just five guys, and not exactly bantha fodder. That's fake flexibility, don't you see it?

I keep Goran, dump the rest and go after one big free agent. Then why on earth did I take Ilyasova? To get Middleton and Henson? Not nearly worth it when I have to lose Green, Knight and Kieff.

You are right, though. This is getting silly.

[Mori Chu]

I don't like those pieces in that hypothetical deal. Ilyasova doesn't have any value to me, and I don't think it'd be good to have his contract on our books. And the other pieces just look like filler. I would not be in favor of that deal at all; it just looks like a bunch of castaways and spare parts.

[INFORMER]

The players whose rights could be renounced are Goran Dragic, Gerald Green, the twins and Knight. 40M sound like a ton but it is just five guys, and not exactly bantha fodder. That's fake flexibility, don't you see it?

I keep Goran, dump the rest and go after one big free agent. Then why on earth did I take Ilyasova? To get Middleton and Henson? Not nearly worth it when I have to lose Green, Knight and Kieff.

I moved on from Ilyasova; no need to discuss that any further.

The only guarantee in the group of cap holds is Dragic. But I don't see point in counting the others as out the door. Again, it is all about who is available, how much they'll command, and if they want to play for Phoenix. It also depends on how much our own free agents command. It's a fluid situation. What I do know, personally, is that there isn't a free agent I want to max. Thus, I don't think the numbers necessitate letting all of our free agents walk except Dragic just to sign a free agent.

[INFORMER]

And the other pieces just look like filler.

I wouldn't consider a player that averaged 17.9 ppg to be filler.

[pickle]

I moved on from Ilyasova; no need to discuss that any further.

The only guarantee in the group of cap holds is Dragic. But I don't see point in counting the others as out the door. Again, it is all about who is available, how much they'll command, and if they want to play for Phoenix. It also depends on how much our own free agents command. It's a fluid situation. What I do know, personally, is that there isn't a free agent I want to max. Thus, I don't think the numbers necessitate letting all of our free agents walk except Dragic just to sign a free agent.

i might be mis-interpreting your post inf. if so, please correct me. however, i'd offer marc gasol the max, among the list of impact free agents available next year. i really love his game. obviously he's not going to be available, but if he were and we got him, i'd be beside myself with joy.

[JCSunsfan]

An aside question. How is it that Sarver has managed to complete tick off every RFA he has had so far?

[Ring_Wanted]

Probably because he still refuses to abide by the unwritten NBA law that forces you to pay more than what the player is worth, if you don't want to lose him for nothing. Fair price and RFA are not exactly a match made in heaven.

I've been saying for some time now that the NBA should get rid of restricted free agency (and the L-tax, but that's another story).

Just allow the current team to offer an actually relevant amount of money over anybody else and the players will stay unless it is some extreme case. Right now, a difference of 1 extra year and 3% in raises is not nearly enough to keep budding star players interested in small franchises.

[Ring_Wanted]

By the way, if Bledsoe indeed takes the QO, who else can see a trade to Miami for a protected 1stR pick (and filler if needed) around dec 15?

Miami would probably be a place where he wants to stay, it's not impossible that they will have enough money next summer and they are competing now. More than a rental, it would be kind of an advanced payment.

[INFORMER]

however, i'd offer marc gasol the max, among the list of impact free agents available next year. i really love his game. obviously he's not going to be available, but if he were and we got him, i'd be beside myself with joy.

I would never give Marc Gasol the max. He's a good player, but he's not nearly productive enough.

[Mori Chu]

I've been saying for some time now that the NBA should get rid of restricted free agency (and the L-tax, but that's another story).

I think that when it comes to RFAs, the current team should be able to offer 1 more year, some more money, and should get an exclusive window of say 1-2 weeks at the start of free agency in which the player is only allowed to talk to his current team, no others. That way the current team would get to make the first pitch, offer whatever it thought was fair, and hopefully lock the guy up before he even meets with any other teams. Or if the current team's offer isn't great, the guy will wait his 1-2 weeks and then talk to other teams before he decides. I think that's enough of an advantage for the current team to make it fair.

The current system that lets the current team hold the RFA hostage and depress his market value by claiming they'll match any offer is pretty silly. It also leads to other teams way overpaying to get these guys away from their current teams, just to stop the current team from matching.

[Cap]

The current system that lets the current team hold the RFA hostage and depress his market value by claiming they'll match any offer is pretty silly.

It is silly. It's also a myth.

Seriously, list historical examples of RFAs who have been forced by the system to accept contracts well below fair market value. It doesn't happen, and it isn't happening to Eric Bledsoe. Just because he's demanding max doesn't mean he's a legitimate max player. Not a single team other than the Suns has expressed interest in having Bledsoe play for them this season. When a legitimate superstar is at an impasse with his team, 29 other teams try to find a way to take advantage of the situation and acquire the player. The response to the Bledsoe situation has been at the opposite extreme. His value isn't being depressed by the system, it's being depressed by a lack of demand for his services.

[Dan H]

The current system that lets the current team hold the RFA hostage and depress his market value by claiming they'll match any offer is pretty silly.

It is silly. It's also a myth.

Seriously, list historical examples of RFAs who have been forced by the system to accept contracts well below fair market value. It doesn't happen, and it isn't happening to Eric Bledsoe. Just because he's demanding max doesn't mean he's a legitimate max player. Not a single team other than the Suns has expressed interest in having Bledsoe play for them this season. When a legitimate superstar is at an impasse with his team, 29 other teams try to find a way to take advantage of the situation and acquire the player. The response to the Bledsoe situation has been at the opposite extreme. His value isn't being depressed by the system, it's being depressed by a lack of demand for his services.

This.

How can we make you an agent?

[Cap]

Find me a client and I'll give it a shot. :p

Oops, I think that comment just disqualified me.

[Danimal]

His value isn't being depressed by the system, it's being depressed by a lack of demand for his services.

We need to put this on a few billboards wherever Bledsoe might be. Not just this offseason but for years to come. But its incredibly difficult to save someone from their own stupidity. Its the kind of situation that only gets fixed by the guys mother telling him point blank that what he being told to do is dumb as shit. The LBJ twitter post was the final straw for me. It achieved nothing except make Bledsoe look like LBJ's bitch. As other poster mentioned, the comments were laughable...gymrats?? Its like he has to feel as if he is the coolest kid in high school and needs a bunch of players around him kissing his ass telling him so. I know social media wasnt around at the time but I couldn't imagine a 90's star on a similar tier doing something that lame.

FYI future all-star means he is not one currently, so he can get paid like an allstar when/if he becomes one. Hurry up and trade him so all our blood pressure and the collective IQ of the Suns can instantly improve.

[Ring_Wanted]

however, i'd offer marc gasol the max, among the list of impact free agents available next year. i really love his game. obviously he's not going to be available, but if he were and we got him, i'd be beside myself with joy.

I would never give Marc Gasol the max. He's a good player, but he's not nearly productive enough.

'Good player' is a severe understatement. Severe.

If I want to win now, as a free agent I max him out, with no hesitation.

[Ring_Wanted]

The current system that lets the current team hold the RFA hostage and depress his market value by claiming they'll match any offer is pretty silly.

It is silly. It's also a myth.

Seriously, list historical examples of RFAs who have been forced by the system to accept contracts well below fair market value. It doesn't happen, and it isn't happening to Eric Bledsoe. Just because he's demanding max doesn't mean he's a legitimate max player. Not a single team other than the Suns has expressed interest in having Bledsoe play for them this season. When a legitimate superstar is at an impasse with his team, 29 other teams try to find a way to take advantage of the situation and acquire the player. The response to the Bledsoe situation has been at the opposite extreme. His value isn't being depressed by the system, it's being depressed by a lack of demand for his services.

I agree, Cap.

The thing is that restricted free agency is a messy situation by design, unless your player is too good or too little of a fish. The only instance where RFA makes the player an hostage is when he is a absolute superstar and wants to move elsewhere.

Every team claims that they'll match. Usually it is 'anything', other times it is 'anything reasonable', but the message is always there when the RFA is any good. Yet that claim doesn't keep teams from trying their (often max) hand at their target. This very summer we have two perfect examples in Hayward and Parsons, but recently you can take a look at Hibbert, Batum and many others including less than ideal situations like Eric Gordon.

In Bledsoe's case, it is a mix of his status, which forces to overpay by default, but above all the injury concerns and the simple offer-supply rule applied to point guards.

There were three teams primed to make a move for Bledsoe in free agency. LAL, Dallas and Orlando (and a dark horse in Milwaukee), but one way or another all of them declined to make a serious play for the guy.

If it was just his restricted status, I believe somebody would have thrown the max at him already, but for better or worse his surrounding circumstances, not the team ability to match, have left him with no other option than taking what Phoenix is putting on the table or assuming a huge risk for 3.7M.

[Danimal]

Mori, I agree with alot of what you say. But this will not hurt Rich Paul's ability to sign players. As long as he represent LeBron, starry-eyed 19 year olds will sign with him just to catch a little LeBron magic dust.

But they won't be catching magic dust, they will be catching a disease the may very well ruin their career. Bledsoe will be the case study of how badly attempting to 'piggy back' your brand to another player can screw you over. Rival agents will lap it up saying that getting LBJ off is Paul's only care, whilst they may actually give a crap about their clients interests in a way which is based in some kind of reality.

I am wondering what LBJ would tweet if Bledsoe takes the QO and then does his knee. My guess is he would quietly disown him.

[Ring_Wanted]

I've been saying for some time now that the NBA should get rid of restricted free agency (and the L-tax, but that's another story).

I think that when it comes to RFAs, the current team should be able to offer 1 more year, some more money, and should get an exclusive window of say 1-2 weeks at the start of free agency in which the player is only allowed to talk to his current team, no others. That way the current team would get to make the first pitch, offer whatever it thought was fair, and hopefully lock the guy up before he even meets with any other teams. Or if the current team's offer isn't great, the guy will wait his 1-2 weeks and then talk to other teams before he decides. I think that's enough of an advantage for the current team to make it fair.

I think it needs to be something more substantial. The number of years is a factor, but over a career it can easily made up for, assuming decent health. Unless said number was too big to ignore, like three seasons.

If that is not an option, then you need to tweak the maximum guaranteed money per season. Increase it in favor of the current team by 25%-33% per year or something like that.

Also, there could be some other incentives, like loyalty bonuses (not against the cap) if you stay X years on the same team that drafted you.

The period to negotiate with exclusivity fits that mold and sounds good, but in the end it needs to be combined with measures that put the other teams at a disadvantage in financial terms. Otherwise it is probably just a wast of time for everybody, as the player would just be eager to be allowed to enter real free agency.

[Ring_Wanted]

I am wondering what LBJ would tweet if Bledsoe takes the QO and then does his knee. My guess is he would quietly disown him.

In that case I think the MLE would be ready for Bledsoe in Cleveland.