SUNS 2014: Free Agency 2 (new)

[Ring_Wanted]

https://twitter.com/DwainPrice/status/490956863731548160

[Ring_Wanted]

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/490893102719459328

[Phoenix219]

BRING HOME NASH AND MATRIX!!!!!!!!

[DrSublime]

https://twitter.com/Schultz_Report/status/490893102719459328

YES!
GIT ER DONE

[SDC]

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.

parsons got a max offer from dallas. hayward got max offers from cleveland and charlotte. bledsoe got a max offer from milwaukee.

[ShelC]

I don't recall seeing anything about Bledsoe getting a max offer from Milwaukee. If so, why wouldn't he sign it? Even if he didn't want to be in Milwaukee, take the money and demand a trade later.

I wasn't operating under the notion that he wanted 80mil. The suns were obviously, and really played it perfectly by drafting Ennis and signing Thomas. Those moves were clearly a reaction to those contract demands to take away leverage from Bledsoe. Great chess move there by McD.

If we can get Randle and a pick, do it. It's not that I'm a huge Randle guy, but he'd give us the rebounding and toughness at the 4 spot we lack. And if they want to pay him 80, God Bless.

[Split T]

I don't think Bledsoe ever got an offer sheet from Milwaukee and they never had max cap space either.

[ShelC]

All I've found is that they were "mulling" an offer. Now they've picked up Marshall.

[Ring_Wanted]

I wasn't operating under the notion that he wanted 80mil.
...
If we can get Randle and a pick, do it. It's not that I'm a huge Randle guy, but he'd give us the rebounding and toughness at the 4 spot we lack. And if they want to pay him 80, God Bless.

Nobody but the Suns can give him 5 years and 80M. That's one of the biggest changes since 2011.

If he is signed and traded it is 4 years.
If he plays out the year under the QO and then signs with another team it is 4 years.
If he gets traded under the QO (always with his consent) it is 4 years.

That's why we'd be bidding against ourselves, why he won't (shouldn't) get that money no matter what he does, and why nobody was entertaining this option at all.

[INFORMER]

Bledsoe can receive a 5-year deal in a sign and trade.

[INFORMER]

If we can get Randle and a pick, do it. It's not that I'm a huge Randle guy, but he'd give us the rebounding and toughness at the 4 spot we lack.

I'm not high on Randle either, but I would definitely do that deal. I'd try to flip Randle though.

[In2ition]

If we can get Randle and a pick, do it. It's not that I'm a huge Randle guy, but he'd give us the rebounding and toughness at the 4 spot we lack.

I'm not high on Randle either, but I would definitely do that deal. I'd try to flip Randle though.

This.

[Ring_Wanted]

Bledsoe can receive a 5-year deal in a sign and trade.

Word of INFORMER, I assume?

[MightyMoog]

Randle would be amazing. We're not winning the ship anytime soon. Even if we'd have gotten Love. I see us on the same course as philly. But somehow we're managing to do it without sucking ass. I could just imagine a frontline of Len, randle and Warren in a few years. Plus we'd have another 3 picks next year to work with in this deal. And yeah I'd take Nash back over hill, just to show those Laker fans that they're medical staff sucks as they watch play another full healthy season here.

[INFORMER]

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.

I'll say this: I think a 2-point guard lineup is effective. And I think the team suffered from a talent deficiency last year that Eric Bledsoe helped to alleviate. So I don't look at the difference in record from when Bledsoe was in the lineup versus when he was out as establishing some unique value in Eric Bledsoe.

I think you don't get the most out of Thomas or Dragic with Bledsoe on the team. And I believe that the Thomas-Dragic combo can be ridiculously potent. It's not a combo that has to start, but it is a combo I would like to see be used extensively. I'm reminded of the damage Dallas was able to do against Miami and the Lakers with JJ Barea paired with one of Jason Kidd or Jason Terry. And Thomas is far superior to Barea.

I see Bledsoe as more or less an extraneous element and a luxury. I don't think he's an established cornerstone of the team or franchise, and the Suns acquired for peanuts. So I think that's why I'm not hard-pressed to get an All-Star or a stud for him in a trade. I don't think his departure leaves us with a void, so I'm content just to trade him for something I think the Suns can use.

[ShelC]

You can do a 5 year deal on a S&T, but a FA can't leave their team and sign a 5 year deal, only a 4 year.

[Ring_Wanted]

You can do a 5 year deal on a S&T, but a FA can't leave their team and sign a 5 year deal, only a 4 year.

You can't. Sign and trades are now restricted so the receiving team can only get at best the same contract it could offer in the first place. 4 years, 4.5% raises.

[INFORMER]

Bledsoe can receive a 5-year deal in a sign and trade.

Word of INFORMER, I assume?

No, I was mistaken. I was still thinking about the old CBA where a player could get a full Bird contract by agreeing to a sign an trade.

[INFORMER]

The suns were obviously, and really played it perfectly by drafting Ennis and signing Thomas. Those moves were clearly a reaction to those contract demands to take away leverage from Bledsoe. Great chess move there by McD.

I get the whole leverage angle that you're selling, but there was nothing perfect or great about drafting Tyler Ennis at 18. And honestly, signing a point guard who actually has a full season of work and good health and who averaged 20 ppg was all the leverage that he needed.

[ShelC]

Maybe Ennis at 18 wasn't perfect, but the strategy was there. Like or dislike Ennis, but McD drafted a PG, coveted by another team no less which could be a factor down the road. He obviously didn't know he'd land Thomas, so he drafted a PG and solidified the position even more by adding a proven player (Thomas) later on. If he knew he'd get Thomas or had Thomas on the roster, I doubt Ennis would've been the choice.