Should the Suns pay Bledsoe 4 years, $63 million?POLL

[bwgood77]

Focus on stats last season, Monta Ellis is the most similar to Eric Bledsoe, Mike Conley is second
Monta Ellis $ 8M/y, Mike Conley $ 7.9M/y, so i think Eric Bledsoe might be between 7.9M and 8M, cause he had injured and PG is easy to replace...thought??

source: Find the Similar Player~~
http://www.fansboard.com/matchPlayer?pl ... ic-Bledsoe

Yeah, the offer he has on the table is more than fair, especially when you look at what other point guards are making.

[baubo]

Focus on stats last season, Monta Ellis is the most similar to Eric Bledsoe, Mike Conley is second
Monta Ellis $ 8M/y, Mike Conley $ 7.9M/y, so i think Eric Bledsoe might be between 7.9M and 8M, cause he had injured and PG is easy to replace...thought??

source: Find the Similar Player~~
http://www.fansboard.com/matchPlayer?pl ... ic-Bledsoe

Contracts don't work like that. Conley signed his deal back when he was averaging 13.7/3.0/6.5. Ellis got that deal after he shot 42%/29%. Bledsoe's coming off 17.7/4.7/5.5 on 47%/37%. This doesn't even include defense, of which Conley does play and Ellis does not.

Not saying Bledsoe deserves the max, as that's ridiculous, but in terms of salary his comp is clearly not the two players you mentioned (Lowry would've been more comprable). And Conley if he had been a FA last year, he'd get at least close to the max.

[Capper]

Bledsoe taking the QO seems inevitable at this point.

And it looks like you've been trying to trade him anyway, so there's no need for Bledsoe to demand a trade. Its implied. Not that you'd get that much back for him, being a rental and all.

You clearly don't know much about his QO. Would you bet $48 million to win $6 million? That's what Bledsoe would be doing by taking the deal, and he'd win $6 million over the course of 4 years if he receives the max. Odds are he won't get that. In fact, if he'd need about 15 million a year just to break even if he took the QO. It would be the most bafflingly stupid thing I've ever seen in the modern NBA.

Its not just that. Its clear that the team is willing to go higher. 4/48 was just the starting point. So the risk for Bledsoe is even greater. They should just go 4/55 and call it a day.

There's no need to get that extra $6M guaranteed now. Look at this chart from Bright Side of the Sun:



If he gets 12-12-12-12 with a PO on the fourth year, he can opt out in 2017, and a max contract at that time will probably start at 17.5 or better. That means this 4/48 contract would give him all the upside potential of the QO, get him paid sooner, and involve much less risk. (The only way he comes out better with the QO is if he's convinced he can get max in 2015 but not in 2017 or 2018, which seems a silly assumption.)

[mybloodisorange]

It's interesting that Bledsoe still hasn't signed with anyone as the clock keeps ticking...
With Rondo wanting out of Boston I wonder if a sign and trade would make them both happy.
I wonder what a Dragic/Thomas/Rondo 3 guard rotation would look like.
This was just a passing thought so yes I know the math probably doesn't work and Bledsoe probably wouldn't agree to it.

I'm starting to wonder what Bledsoe will want once he can't get the money he wants. I didn't forsee him being unsigned for this long but I also didn't see the Suns going after and signing Thomas immediately either.
Next year is going to be exciting no matter what!

[bwgood77]

Focus on stats last season, Monta Ellis is the most similar to Eric Bledsoe, Mike Conley is second
Monta Ellis $ 8M/y, Mike Conley $ 7.9M/y, so i think Eric Bledsoe might be between 7.9M and 8M, cause he had injured and PG is easy to replace...thought??

source: Find the Similar Player~~
http://www.fansboard.com/matchPlayer?pl ... ic-Bledsoe

Contracts don't work like that. Conley signed his deal back when he was averaging 13.7/3.0/6.5. Ellis got that deal after he shot 42%/29%. Bledsoe's coming off 17.7/4.7/5.5 on 47%/37%. This doesn't even include defense, of which Conley does play and Ellis does not.

Not saying Bledsoe deserves the max, as that's ridiculous, but in terms of salary his comp is clearly not the two players you mentioned (Lowry would've been more comprable). And Conley if he had been a FA last year, he'd get at least close to the max.

That all true, but I was more thinking of offer being fair and thinking more along the lines of Curry/Lawson/Holiday after being an all star. Teague got a contract at 8 after last year after looking pretty good the year before too.

[baubo]

That all true, but I was more thinking of offer being fair and thinking more along the lines of Curry/Lawson/Holiday after being an all star. Teague got a contract at 8 after last year after looking pretty good the year before too.

I don't put Teague in that first tier of players you mentioned. But Lawson/Curry/Holiday got extensions, not RFA contracts.

So let's use Ty Lawson who extended at 4/48. Add $1mil to account for RFA status vs. extension. Add $1mil to account for increase in salary cap. And we have 4/56 instead.

[Cutter]

4/56 is an overpay for Bledsoe, by about 20%.

[mybloodisorange]

Has the Lakers declaring their interest in Bledsoe (and Goran) given him a bit more bargaining leverage as a free agent? Keeping in mind of course that he lost most of his leverage already when the Suns signed Thomas.

[King4Day]

Has the Lakers declaring their interest in Bledsoe (and Goran) given him a bit more bargaining leverage as a free agent? Keeping in mind of course that he lost most of his leverage already when the Suns signed Thomas.

Unlikely since it's obvious many teams who will have cap room are going to make a run at both players.

[Fo-Real]

It only makes sense around the league for anyone around the league. We have two allstar level guards and might not be able to keep one..... smart buisness move is to see witch one shakes out....... NOT NEWS!!

[Phystic]

So, Wolves are going after Bledsoe. With Rubio potentially on the table. Apparently Suns aren't interested in Rubio so S&T is on hold.


I think the only players should be entertaining coming back are Wiggins, Lavine, Dieng. And Dieng is a question mark as he only had a handful of quality games to judge him off of. Outside of that, I don't really have interest in the rest of that team.

[HurricaneKid]

So two thirds of respondents say he isn't worth 4/63 but Minny should pay 4/63 AND give cornerstone pieces too?

[Zelaznyrules]

So two thirds of respondents say he isn't worth 4/63 but Minny should pay 4/63 AND give cornerstone pieces too?

No, the Suns should be nice and give him away to the Wolves if they have to spend that much money just to sign him.

[jcsunsfan]

Suns don't want Rubio. Period.

[Lindecision]

Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine are untouchable if you ask me.

But the fact that Phx owns Minny's pick makes this very interesting.

We could be looking at the protections being changed as part of the deal.

[phrazbit]

So two thirds of respondents say he isn't worth 4/63 but Minny should pay 4/63 AND give cornerstone pieces too?

You could make that argument if Minnesota could sign him on their own... but they can't. This is not a straight forward "oh, we're taking on this big contract, how can we be expected to throw talent in?", because just to get him the Wolves are going to need to shed a LOT of contracts, which by itself, even without also getting Bledsoe, would cost the Wolves value.

The Wolves are way over the cap, if they were to trade for Bledsoe they would only be able to marginally increase their payroll because they'd have to send off equal salary. So you're asking the Suns to give up a very very good player whos rights they control AND to take on a bunch of crap contracts in return? Its a laughable thought to anyone who is not a complete Wolves homer.

For Minnesota to pull of a sign and trade REAL value would have to be surrendered, not an assortment of mid-tier veterans on lousy contracts.

[bwgood77]

Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine are untouchable if you ask me.

But the fact that Phx owns Minny's pick makes this very interesting.

We could be looking at the protections being changed as part of the deal.

You think Dieng and Lavine are more promising future pieces than Bledsoe? The Suns would never trade a guy like Bledsoe without getting at least Dieng back from who they have. And no way they take Martin or Pekovic.

[Lindecision]

Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine are untouchable if you ask me.

But the fact that Phx owns Minny's pick makes this very interesting.

We could be looking at the protections being changed as part of the deal.

You think Dieng and Lavine are more promising future pieces than Bledsoe? The Suns would never trade a guy like Bledsoe without getting at least Dieng back from who they have. And no way they take Martin or Pekovic.

I think Lavine could be. But its not really about whose a more promising future piece anymore. Its more about Bledsoe's situation in Phx being untenable, and public. Phx doesn't feel Bledsoe is worth the max, but when another team is prepared to give him the max, all of a sudden Phx thinks they can be picky with what assets then want in return?

The deadline for the QO isn't far away and Bledsoe has already made it clear he will sign it, so we're at the point of no return. Unfortunately for Phx that means very little leverage. That's is why I said the pick makes this interesting. A package of Pekovic and a top 3 protected 1st is good value, all things considered. I mean Bledsoe probably wants out at this point.

[bwgood77]

Wiggins, Dieng and Lavine are untouchable if you ask me.

But the fact that Phx owns Minny's pick makes this very interesting.

We could be looking at the protections being changed as part of the deal.

You think Dieng and Lavine are more promising future pieces than Bledsoe? The Suns would never trade a guy like Bledsoe without getting at least Dieng back from who they have. And no way they take Martin or Pekovic.

I think Lavine could be. But its not really about whose a more promising future piece anymore. Its more about Bledsoe's situation in Phx being untenable, and public. Phx doesn't feel Bledsoe is worth the max, but when another team is prepared to give him the max, all of a sudden Phx thinks they can be picky with what assets then want in return?

The deadline for the QO isn't far away and Bledsoe has already made it clear he will sign it, so we're at the point of no return. Unfortunately for Phx that means very little leverage. That's is why I said the pick makes this interesting. A package of Pekovic and a top 3 protected 1st is good value, all things considered. I mean Bledsoe probably wants out at this point.

I don't think he will take the QO. He'd be an idiot to, especially if the Suns ultimately go up to 4/54 or so. He'd never make his money back, even if he got a max deal next time.

They can be picky because Minnesota can't sign him outright. If they could, then yes, the Suns couldn't be as picky, but they'd still hold leverage since they could always match.

[jcsunsfan]

So two thirds of respondents say he isn't worth 4/63 but Minny should pay 4/63 AND give cornerstone pieces too?

No, the Suns should be nice and give him away to the Wolves if they have to spend that much money just to sign him.

Agreed.

Its the Suns obligation to make Eric Bledsoe happy, and to do lots of favors in taking on unwanted salary to allow Minny to do it [sarcasm alert].

BTW. It isn't the Suns who are supposedly offering Eric the max, its Minny. If they really think he is worth the max, then they need to do what every other team has to do to clear max space. That either takes time, or you have to give up assets to do it.

Minny cannot have its cake and eat it too. The Suns are much better off just taking EB on the QO or even just cutting him loose.