SUNS 2014: Free Agency 2 (new)

[AmareIsGod]

Looks like he had 59 points and 11 assists in the 2nd game they played today #baller

[DrSublime]

kinda irks me to have Thomas playing in a pro-am, what if the dude turns an ankle?

[DrSublime]

If Randle hasn't signed already, we can get his rights, instead of waiting until november, right? Same thing with Hill, he only coul be send here in a S&T right now, or until december. I think this is just speculation.

I have no interest on Jordan Hill, but I would like to squeeze one more asset out of LA -at least a second rounder- if we are going to take Nash instead of Hill. Then, our training staff put back the missing bone in Steve's back and get him ready for 15-20 minutes a night as an above average sub. Then you got troll material for Lakers' boards.

How does Randle, plus the pick, plus our own assets, could help on our quest for Love? Not at all?

not sure on Hill, but Randle is 30 days from the day he inks the deal

[In2ition]

Looks like he had 59 points and 11 assists in the 2nd game they played today #baller

I remember Bo Outlaw having crazy box scores playing in the pro ams.

[Uncle_Gene]

You take that Randle, Hill, and 1st round pick for Bledsoe,.......then trade that to Minnesota for Kevin Love.

[Gladiator]

You take that Randle, Hill, and 1st round pick for Bledsoe,.......then trade that to Minnesota for Kevin Love.

Assuming Bledsoe doesn't budge from his max contract demands, I'd take the Randle, Hill and 1st round pick and go with that. Hill's deal isn't ideal but it's only 2 years.

[INFORMER]

Hill can't be traded until December 15, unless he hasn't actually signed the contract.

[TOO]

I'd take Randle/Nash and protection removal and laugh all the way to the bank. I like Bledsoe, but he's gone batshit and I like IT2 just as much.

[INFORMER]

I'm not sure why everyone is so stunned that he's demanding the max. I've been operating under that assumption for awhile now, and all signs have pointed to him demanding that.

His contract demands aside, there are too many basketball reasons that make it prudent not to retain Bledsoe. I wish the front office was wasting time with him and would just sign and trade him already. Houston, Milwaukee, LA, it doesn't matter. Just get what you can for him and move on. The fact that this regime is so committed to bringing him back is very discouraging.

[Phoenix219]

I'd take Randle/Nash and protection removal and laugh all the way to the bank. I like Bledsoe, but he's gone batshit and I like IT2 just as much.

Yep, theres any number of combos that work that are much better then committing that much to a possibly broken guard that barely wants to be here. He's after the payday, not to bring wins to Phoenix. Protection removal, a different 1st rounder, i don't really care.... just do it and get it over with. Not a fan of the Jordan Hill deal, but I'd take it if I had to; I'd take Nash without blinking, no questions about it.

[iLLmatic]

I'm not sure why everyone is so stunned that he's demanding the max. I've been operating under that assumption for awhile now, and all signs have pointed to him demanding that.

Same here, I always thought it was common knowledge that this is what Bledsoe and his agent were going to demand. If I recall, the Suns attempted to hammer out an extension during the middle of the season but the two sides could not reach an agreement so the Suns decided to wait till the summer to see if he'd get a match.

[iLLmatic]

Hill can't be traded until December 15, unless he hasn't actually signed the contract.

I don't think he's actually signed the contract yet, just came to a verbal agreement with LA.

[iLLmatic]

I'd take Randle/Nash and protection removal and laugh all the way to the bank. I like Bledsoe, but he's gone batshit and I like IT2 just as much.

I'm not sure I'd wanna trade with LA just because that will negatively impact our draft pick for 2015.

[Ring_Wanted]

What Bledsoe wants regarding teams is irrelevant. He is restricted, you don't care if he honestly wants to stay in Phoenix. Happens all the time. If he gets an offer sheet, you match unless there is a good s+t on the table, like Randle.

And as far as I know the discussions have always been matching vs letting him go, never about giving him the 5 year max because it doesn't matter if he demands it, he can't get it unless the Suns, and only the Suns, want so. But you don't bid against yourself unless the guy is a superstar, period. Which is not the case so that scenario is (should) be out of question. I can do 5 years, but not 80M.

There is a risk for both sides and if Bledsoe's camp is not willing to share that risk and is adamant about the 5 year max, let them play just for the QO while losing bird rights, instead of securing 50M.

[iLLmatic]

His contract demands aside, there are too many basketball reasons that make it prudent not to retain Bledsoe. I wish the front office was wasting time with him and would just sign and trade him already. Houston, Milwaukee, LA, it doesn't matter. Just get what you can for him and move on. The fact that this regime is so committed to bringing him back is very discouraging.

I'm hoping that they are trying to see the best offer they can get in a S & T for Bledsoe or waiting to see if the agent will take the 48 million dollar contract offered. I don't think McD is that dumb to match a max contract for Bledsoe, especially considering we have Isaiah Thomas and Dragic. I'm pretty sure the FO strategy is to acquire talent on good contracts.

Would you sign Bledsoe for 4 years on 48 million INF?

[Ring_Wanted]

I'm not sure why everyone is so stunned that he's demanding the max. I've been operating under that assumption for awhile now, and all signs have pointed to him demanding that.

Same here, I always thought it was common knowledge that this is what Bledsoe and his agent were going to demand. If I recall, the Suns attempted to hammer out an extension during the middle of the season but the two sides could not reach an agreement so the Suns decided to wait till the summer to see if he'd get a match.

Nobody has ever talked about the 5 year max or 80M, as far as I know. 'The max', of course, but in the context of what he could get from another team in an offer sheet.

[INFORMER]

Would you sign Bledsoe for 4 years on 48 million INF?

Nope.

I have a point guard that I love, I have a back-up who is really a starter and who few in the league can contain. No need to invest resources in another point guard who won't be better than the one I love, who marginalizes the contributions of the other point guards, and who has a ridiculous injury history. Cash Bledsoe in and move on.

[Ring_Wanted]

The basketball reasons you allude to are way less clear than you suggest. And there is also the cap angle. Not to mention how simple is saying ' cash him in', but how difficult it's actually finding a move that makes sense as long as you are not desperate to get rid of the guy.

The real issue has always been health.

[Wally_West]

I really don’t understand why people are so willing to trade Bledsoe. It almost seems like people want to trade him for the sake of trading him. I think people really under estimating how much of a better team we are when both of them are in the line-up and adding IT2 in the mix makes us one of the best guard line-ups in the league IMO. Obviously if the right deal comes along, of course you trade him but realistically there are not many options in that area right now. Bledsoe stock is pretty low right now if you think about it. He is coming off a big year but his big year was tainted by his knee injury and now there are serious questions his health long term. We are in a great position right now to sign him to a reasonable deal. There seems to be no teams out there that are going to give him the max contract he wants, and at this point any offer sheet he signs is probably not going to be anywhere near the max like we want. Like people have already said, we have all the leverage here.

[The Bobster]

I'm not sure why everyone is so stunned that he's demanding the max. I've been operating under that assumption for awhile now, and all signs have pointed to him demanding that.

His contract demands aside, there are too many basketball reasons that make it prudent not to retain Bledsoe. I wish the front office was wasting time with him and would just sign and trade him already. Houston, Milwaukee, LA, it doesn't matter. Just get what you can for him and move on. The fact that this regime is so committed to bringing him back is very discouraging.

I'm not surprised that he's asking for the max, I'm more surprised that anyone thinks he's going to get it. Philadelphia is the only team out there who could offer it to him and they're not interested.

As for trading him, Houston has nothing to trade for him unless they want to trade Harden and that's not going to happen, the cupboard is pretty bare in Milwaukee with the exception of Parker and Antetokounmpo, who they're not trading and unless the Lakers are inclined to move Randle, I don't have any interest in anything there either.

The best course is to wait this out, see how much he's willing to come down off his $16 million, and it he's not willing to, then make a deal. But this is a process that takes a while, and there's no need to get everything done today.