Eric Bledsoe, Phoenix Suns still not negotiating contract
By Sam Richmond
Eric Bledsoe’s free agency remains perhaps the most bizarre subplot of the 2014 NBA offseason. Bledsoe emerged as one of the best young point guards in the NBA last season, yet remains unsigned well into September.
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Unfortunately for Bledsoe, it doesn’t appear as if this situation is going to have a happy resolution.
According to Paul Coro of azcentral.com, talks between Bledsoe and the Suns are not progressing.
"With no signs of talks or a sign-and-trade, Bledsoe is two weeks from taking a qualifying offer that will not win much more favor with Suns fans."
As Coro hints at, this very well could end with Bledsoe simply taking the qualifying offer and setting himself up to become an unrestricted free agent in 2015. The qualifying offer is basically a one-year contract.
The restricted free agency process has worked about as poorly for Bledsoe as it possibly could have, so, even though he’s seemingly unlikely to earn long-term financial security this year, he’s only an offseason away from having the freedom to go to whichever team he wants.
Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game this past season. The Suns won 48 games, earning the No. 9 seed and narrowly missing the playoffs during Bledsoe’s first season with the team.
The Suns traded the Los Angeles Clippers for Bledsoe during the 2013 offseason. He has career averages of 8.7 points, 3.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game.