Woj: Bledsoe's Agent Wants Max, Unwilling To Negotiate

[Oakville_Raptor]

The Pacers should be going after Bledsoe, hard. Their point guard situation is dubious and they could definitely use another scorer to take some of the pressure/attention off of Paul George. The Magic could also use Bledsoe. They've got cap space and Payton, a rookie, is the only true point guard on the team.

I'm pretty sure teams are just very worried about his injury past.

[agentzero2010]

I don't understand why so many are giving Bledsoe a pass for demanding the max. He had a good "statistical" year last season but missed a 39 games and caused his team to fall out of the playoff race. What has he done to deserve the max?

Here is to all the GMs out there, max money is reserved for super stars and All-Stars. Stop paying guys max money based on "star potential". It hardly ever pays off.

[brownbobcat]

Phoenix has made it known publicly and repeatedly that they intend to match any offer sheets competitors issue out to Bledsoe. This tactic has succeeded in scaring away any potential suitors so far. However, the effort by the Suns to undermine Bledsoe’s market is what has angered Bledsoe and his reps and led to a standoff in which the relationship is now on the verge of being irreparable, we’re told.

What a load of crap. Virtually every team always says they intend to match. NY said so with Lin, Houston said so with Parsons, Utah with Hayward, etc. Sometimes they follow through, sometimes they don't. If somebody wanted to give Bledsoe more than $48 million, they would have. We're way past July 1st now, giving out an offer sheet isn't tying up anybody's cap room in any meaningful way. Greg Monroe isn't bitching this much and he's actually put together 3 solid healthy seasons in a row.

[Dan2087]

Utah also made it known they intend to match an offer sheet, and that didn't stop a team from trying

If Bledsoe is worth the max, a team with cap room is going to offer him it. They lose nothing by trying - they either get him or not

Eric isn't worth the max, and is far too injury prone. I think Phoenix would be just fine without him tbh.

This whole thing seems really unprofessional on his end. I thought Phoenix was pretty fair with him

[RNsteve]

The guy is not a free agent. Seriously he needs to just stop the *****ing, and take the QO if he want the Suns not to do this. They do not owe it to him, as they are playing the restricted free agent card to its full benefit.

[nahom1319]

Eric isn't worth the max, and is far too injury prone. I think Phoenix would be just fine without him tbh.

Is Gordon Hayward worth the max? Is Chandler Parsons worth 17 million? If I'm throwing money at any of these guys its probably Bledsoe. He's young, he's super athletic and he knows how to play both ends of the floor. I'd rather swing for the fences with him than over pay for a double with Pasons or Hayward.

[kalel123]

Time for Bledsoe to face reality of his market value. If somebody was going to offer him what he wanted, they would have with all these crazy money flying around this offseason. Either take the QO, prove your worth the max, and try again next year or settle for long-term security for less money, maybe try to add one more year and a player option after 3rd or 4th year. I think Suns might be willing to do that, meet somewhere in the middle.

I see a guy that knows he hasn't been all there health-wise, knows he's always gonna be injury prone, and wants to desperately to cash in big for long-term while he still can before being permanently branded. He's also kinda dumb because he can't learn to settle when it's clear things aren't going to go his way. He's frustrated that Suns are calling his bluff and standing firm. Suns are milking the restricted FA for all it's worth but that's what every team does on players that's not quite there like Bledsoe.

[TheSamMitchell]

I wouldn't do that if I was Toronto. Lowry had shown he can be a very good defender and wants to play here. Bledsoe I think wants to play for money and would ruin the chemistry here

You forget the whole issue with Bledsoe and his knees. It would be unheard of to give a player a max contract who has only started 78 games in his whole career. Curry pretty much played two full season, started all the games, put up better stats, but had issues in his 3rd year with ankle injuries. He had to take an extension in the range of $10-12M b/c of injury concerns.

Even if you put aside the injury concerns, Bledsoe is not a better player than Lowry. Their best 3 seasons (Bledsoe best season was 41 game year.



Lowry is not half season fluke. Guys floor is above average PG. Bledsoe best season was last year 41 game season. Assuming that is the Bledsoe you get for the next few season, why not take Lowry who is $5M cheaper + plays defense + is consistent?

Bledsoe is a little too full of himself. He played part of this season and did good, but does he forget his unimpressive stats from last season and his injury problems? He's so unproven at this point, that it would be crazy to give him a max.

[mihaic]

Eric isn't worth the max, and is far too injury prone. I think Phoenix would be just fine without him tbh.

Is Gordon Hayward worth the max? Is Chandler Parsons worth 17 million? If I'm throwing money at any of these guys its probably Bledsoe. He's young, he's super athletic and he knows how to play both ends of the floor. I'd rather swing for the fences with him than over pay for a double with Pasons or Hayward.

In a vacuum yes. But the suns are loaded at PG and they are in no rush to pay him more. I smell a S&T brewing here since there are not that many teams that can spend much more than 12 mil per.

[Dan2087]

Eric isn't worth the max, and is far too injury prone. I think Phoenix would be just fine without him tbh.

Is Gordon Hayward worth the max? Is Chandler Parsons worth 17 million? If I'm throwing money at any of these guys its probably Bledsoe. He's young, he's super athletic and he knows how to play both ends of the floor. I'd rather swing for the fences with him than over pay for a double with Pasons or Hayward.

Those two aren't worth what they are getting at all. But it goes to show that being an RFA and having your team say they will match any offer is in fact not a hindrance to getting paid. The biggest reason why he isn't getting much interest from other teams on a huge contract is his injury history. If he played a full season last year I think he would have a new contract by now

Another factor is the market for a PG isn't as strong. Lowry didn't receive a ton of interest and I think these two are similar players

[Oakville_Raptor]

Eric isn't worth the max, and is far too injury prone. I think Phoenix would be just fine without him tbh.

Is Gordon Hayward worth the max? Is Chandler Parsons worth 17 million? If I'm throwing money at any of these guys its probably Bledsoe. He's young, he's super athletic and he knows how to play both ends of the floor. I'd rather swing for the fences with him than over pay for a double with Pasons or Hayward.

At least Hayward and Parsons will play full seasons during their contracts...Bledsoe will not.

[bballsparkin]

Couldn't Detroit and Phoenix do a Monroe-for-Bledsoe S&T?

Phoenix:

Dragic
Green
Tucker
Monroe
Plumlee

Detroit:

Bledsoe
KCP
Butler
Smith
Drummond

?

Makes sense. Trade two guys who want too much money.

[Parataxis]

Bledsoe should take the QO, light it up and peace out next year.

That's what I'm thinking. Or hell, sign it and then demand a trade, if he really can't stand returning.

[Jstock12]

Hayward isn't worth the max.
Parsons isn't worth the max.
Bledsoe isn't worth the max.

In reality, neither of them showed they're worth even 10M/year. They got overpaid either on their star potential, or to screw other GMs. Just think about it, Hayward and Parsons will earn almost twice as much as DeMar next year. Let that sink in...

[6ixSideSniper]

Hayward isn't worth the max.
Parsons isn't worth the max.
Bledsoe isn't worth the max.

In reality, neither of them showed they're worth even 10M/year. They got overpaid either on their star potential, or to screw other GMs. Just think about it, Hayward and Parsons will earn almost twice as much as DeMar next year. Let that sink in...

About 33% more but the point still stands, they're getting a **** load of money.

Many have said it before, but Bledsoe is a PG (every team has a good PG it seems) and has a questionable bill of health. Those 2 don't add up for a big payday. The mini-Lebron label must of really gotten to his head.

[ishoy123]

Hayward isn't worth the max.
Parsons isn't worth the max.
Bledsoe isn't worth the max.

In reality, neither of them showed they're worth even 10M/year. They got overpaid either on their star potential, or to screw other GMs. Just think about it, Hayward and Parsons will earn almost twice as much as DeMar next year. Let that sink in...

Parsons is definitely worth 10M a year. He averaged 17 pts, 6 rebs, 5 ast on a playoff team last year, and that was as the 3rd option.

[basketball royalty]

Bledsoe is a headcase. So Phoenix being able to match is the reason he hasn't been offered a MAX contract by another team? Yeah, thats the reason.

[sortpar]

12 million per year seems a little ambitious for a guy who hasn't done squat for 1 full season.

Interesting also, that Bledsoe didn't make the top 10 list of PGs for 2013-14, but his teammate Dragic was listed as #4. Dragic is under a 4/48 contract, but Bledsoe feels that he is worth more than Dragic.

[IMAN5]

Bledsoe wants max money, suns offer him fair contract, he says he can get more

Every other NBA team doesn't make a single offer to him

Bledsoe: damn the Suns are playing me! Using the rules against me!

No Mr. Bledsoe, you're just an overrated injury prone fake star.

[trick]

I can see it now. Bledsoe is going to sign that 4/48 PHX contract and demand a trade. Reason being is he feels entitled to more money when in reality the NBA and its collective parties have deemed he is not a max money player.