Eric Bledsoe, Greg Monroe situations could last until training camp
Although Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward and then-Houston Rockets’ forward Chandler Parsons are viewed as excellent players, Phoenix Suns’ guard Eric Bledsoe and Detroit Pistons’ big man Greg Monroe were viewed as the top two restricted free agents on the market. Hayward has since signed a four-year, $63 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets that the Jazz matched while Parsons inked a three-year, $46 million deal with the Dallas Mavericks that the Rockets decided against matching. Bledsoe and Monroe remain free agents.
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Bledsoe reportedly turned down a four-year, $48 million deal from the Suns and is looking for a five-year, $80 million deal the Suns just won’t give him. Monroe has supposedly already turned down a five-year, $60 million deal and has now rejected a deal that would make him the Pistons’ highest-paid player because, like Bledsoe, Monroe is also searching for max money.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, both players may remain free agents until training camp.
"Should either player pick up their qualifying offer, they also gain the ability to veto any trade during the final year of their deal, so there is sizable risk for the home team.Given that nothing is gained in waiting, don’t expect a lot of movement on this front, both of these situations could go down to the wire and the start of training camps which is set for the last week in September."
Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 47.7% from the field, 35.7% from beyond the arc and 77.2% from the free throw line last season. Monroe put up 15.2 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 49.7% from the field and 65.7% from the free throw line last season.