Eric Bledsoe rumors: Progressing toward deal with Phoenix Suns?
Phoenix Suns’ guard Eric Bledsoe remains a restricted free agent. Most still expect the Suns and Bledsoe, who is perhaps the best player left on the market (with Detroit Pistons’ restricted free agent big man Greg Monroe being his biggest competition), remain far apart on a deal. The Suns would like to sign Bledsoe to a four-year, $48 million deal while Bledsoe is looking for a max deal, which would be worth $80 million over five years.
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The Suns hold a lot of the cards here because not only can they match any offer sheet Bledsoe signs and retain him, but because the only team who can no offer him the type of deal he wants, the Philadelphia 76ers, don’t seem particularly interested in doing so.
According to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, the two sides seem to be progressing toward a deal because there is “some sense” the Suns may up their offer.
"Sources close to the Suns have said privately they expected Bledsoe back either on a new deal or after he signs the qualifying offer they issued worth just over $3.7 million (the caphold is $6.56 million).If Bledsoe passes on the Suns’ current offer said to be in the neighborhood of $48 million and signs the qualifying offer, he would become eligible for unrestricted free agency next summer in 2015; he would also gain the right to veto any trade.Sources say there continues to be ongoing dialogue toward a deal and there is some sense that the Suns might increase their offer slightly; there has also been talk that Bledsoe’s camp might agree to a short-term deal that gets Bledsoe into free agency again inside the next three seasons/"
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. In his career, he’s put up 8.7 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game while shooting 44.5% from the field, 32.7% from three and 75.9% from the free throw line.