UPDATE 6:45 pm: These sides aren’t just a little apart, they are Eliza Dushku and Rick Fox apart. From Chris Broussard of ESPN, who had the original report:
Sources: Suns offered Eric Bledsoe 4-year, $48 million contract. Bledsoe wants max of 5 years, $80 million. Sides far apart
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) July 17, 2014
As we note below, Bledsoe’s problem is a lack of leverage. No other team has offered that because they expect the Suns will just match, but Phoenix isn’t just going to give Bledsoe the max. His only option is to play for the qualifying offer ($3.7 million) and be an unrestricted free agent next summer. But for a guy with a long injury history, that is a huge risk.
2:59 pm: Eric Bledsoe is the best free agent still out on the market. It’s not close.
Still there is nothing.
The Hornets stepped early in free agency and tried to steal restricted free agent Gordon Hayward away fro the Jazz, but Utah matched the max offer. Dallas stepped up and did poach restricted free agent Chandler Parsons away from Houston with three years and $46 million.
Restricted free agent Bledsoe still sits on the sidelines.
No team has made him a max offer, in part because it was assumed the Suns would just match it. But without that leverage Bledsoe is having trouble getting a deal he likes with the Suns, reports Chris Broussard at ESPN.The future of one of the most talented free agents left on the market remains cloudy, as Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns remain far apart in contract talks, according to sources close to the situation.
Bledsoe’s representatives have been engaged in discussions with Phoenix, but the Suns’ offer is far below what Bledsoe is looking for.
The Suns are deep at point guard — Bledsoe, Goran Dragic, Isaiah Thomas and just drafted Tyler Ennis. They could afford to move Bledsoe in a sign-and-trade, but so far nothing has come to fruition.
It’s a situation to watch, but Bledsoe’s problem now is not many teams have cap space to go after him and so he lacks the leverage to get the kind of deal he wants.