Phoenix Suns rumors: Suns could lose Eric Bledsoe & Goran Dragić

There has seemingly been no progress between the Phoenix Suns and restricted free agent guard Eric Bledsoe. The Suns offered a four-year, $48 million deal while Bledsoe is seeking a five-year deal worth about $80 million. That could cause Bledsoe to take the Suns’ qualifying offer and become an unrestricted free agent in 2015.

"Should Bledsoe decide to sign the qualifying offer, as appears increasingly likely if no sign-and-trade materializes, Bledsoe can’t be traded without his consent for the whole season … and would instantly set himself up to join Dragic as an unrestricted free agent next summer.Consider that last sentence again.If Bledsoe elects to go the rare qualifying offer route, Phoenix would suddenly face the very real possibility of losing both of its two best assets without compensation in 2015 free agency."

Although the Suns did acquire Isaiah Thomas, this scenario would obviously be a disaster.

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. The 18th-overall pick of the 2010 NBA Draft has put up 8.7 points, 3.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 44.5% from the floor, 32.7% from three and 75.9% from the charity stripe. Dragić put up 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 50.5% from the floor, 40.8% from three and 76.0% from the charity stripe last season. In his six-year career, Dragić has gone for 11.5 points, 4.5 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the floor, 36.5% from three and 74.7% from the foul line.

Be sure to check FanSided’s official NBA page to keep up to date on the latest news and rumors from around the league all summer long.

Home/NBA