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

[daswunderboy]

I think he's a complete idiot with a giant ego.

The qualifying offer is $3mill, so he's basically taking a $9mill paycut in year 1 in the hope he remains injury free and some team out there gives him the max next year. The risk/reward he's taking on doesn't make any sense...at least not for a rational person.

Lets do the 5-year breakdown assuming he actually is a "max level" player.

Phoenix offer...over 4 years + year 5 assumes he actually becomes the max player he thinks he is.

Year 1 - $12mill
Year 2 - $12mill
Year 3 - $12mill
Year 4 - $12mill
Year 5 - $17mill
-------------------
Total - $65mill

His current ideal 5 yr scenario assuming some team out there will give him the max next year.....

Year 1 - $3mill ($9mill loss)
Year 2 - $15mill
Year 3 - $16.5mill
Year 4 - $18mill
Year 5 - $19.5mill
--------------
Total - $72mill

He's squabbling over a difference of about $1-2mill/yr and taking on huge risk in doing so.....i,e, what if he gets injured or doesnt play up to expectations?? Hell the Suns now have Dragic and Thomas......so Bledsoe might not even get the minutes he thinks he's going to get after he's been a bitch to his team all offseason.

Giant ego. Small brain.

The difference in total $$ is actually less substantial than the figures in your example. The starting max salary for next year is unknown at this point, but using your $15M estimate along with the standard 4.5% raise it would be:

Year 1: $ 3.000 million
Year 2: $15.000 million
Year 3: $15.675 million
Year 4: $16.350 million
Year 5: $17.025 million
--------------------------
TOTAL: $67.050 million

True...but! What if Eric Bledsoe made the right bet on himself, and in 5 years he is eligible for a second max contract. His new max would be eligible to start at a higher salary if he takes a max now instead of a 12M deal.

So many more factors involved. Plus...he may just not want to stay in Phoenix, and signing the QO will give him the freedom to choose next year.

[cammac]

Well, that or he thinks he is worth the max, will have a great season, and then sign a max contract. So instead of 4/48, he signs 1 for the QO, which is a few million, then next year he signs 4 or 5 for 60+.

Not saying he will get that, but when long term money is involved, thinking long term isn't a bad idea. Locking himself in to his late 20's at what he feels is below market value was not something he wanted to do. We'll see if he was right.

(and none of that makes him an ass, or selfish like some people are saying. It makes him a human who has a particular view on his value in the market, and is unwilling to be low balled, at least by his perception.)

I think he's a complete idiot with a giant ego.

The qualifying offer is $3mill, so he's basically taking a $9mill paycut in year 1 in the hope he remains injury free and some team out there gives him the max next year. The risk/reward he's taking on doesn't make any sense...at least not for a rational person.

Lets do the 5-year breakdown assuming he actually is a "max level" player.

Phoenix offer...over 4 years + year 5 assumes he actually becomes the max player he thinks he is.

Year 1 - $12mill
Year 2 - $12mill
Year 3 - $12mill
Year 4 - $12mill
Year 5 - $17mill
-------------------
Total - $65mill

His current ideal 5 yr scenario assuming some team out there will give him the max next year.....

Year 1 - $3mill ($9mill loss)
Year 2 - $15mill
Year 3 - $16.5mill
Year 4 - $18mill
Year 5 - $19.5mill
--------------
Total - $72mill

He's squabbling over a difference of about $1-2mill/yr and taking on huge risk in doing so.....i,e, what if he gets injured or doesnt play up to expectations?? Hell the Suns now have Dragic and Thomas......so Bledsoe might not even get the minutes he thinks he's going to get after he's been a bitch to his team all offseason.

Giant ego. Small brain.

Great analysis man. Only question I have is where do those max #'s come from? They seem high.

For example, this is wht hayward just got:

$14,746,000 $15,409,570 $16,073,140 $16,736,710

He no longer fits under the RFA guidelines so his potential income is higher.

[Rhettmatic]

The difference is marginal. The risk/reward doesnt make any sense. I dont have anything against him.....I'm just looking at the situation rationally.

Really nice post with the numbers, I just don't think we should assume Bledsoe is responsible for these tactics. He definitely shares responsibility but you can bet he's taking the advice of his agent and many other people.

He might just want out of Phoenix.

[daswunderboy]

I think it's mostly his agents doing convincing him that he deserves the max. I think the agent knows that this is pretty much his only shot at getting the max with his injury history. But I think in the future Bledsoe can still get some solid contracts along the lines of 10+mil but should not ever get the max if team's play it smart.

I'm not so sure it's his agent pushing the max agenda. The agent has a lot to lose as well.

From KrazyP's #'s, which appear conservative, he can take home $65m over 5 years, versus a max that at best is $72m. Is it worth the risk for the Agent to push that agenda? What's the marginal gain for the agent in holding out for the max, versus the risk of injury.

Assuming 5% commission (total guess), the agent can lock in $3.25mm with the current offer. Or he can wait an entire year, and if everything goes perfectly, get $3.6m, again, assuming that everything went perfectly.

If there was ever a time to use "A bird in hand is worth two in the bush", it nows. I just can't see why the agent would push for that extra $350K, when they could lose it all. That leads me to believe Bledsoe either wants out of Phoenix or has an ego issue with accepting less than he deems his worth, even if that difference is not material.

I can't hate on a player for wanting to maximize their earnings, but that still doesn't take away from the fact there's a very poor risk / reward return with this decision.

If in fact the agent is the one pushing this, and not Beldsoe, then he's doing a MASSIVE dis-service to his client and himself. It's terrible risk reward, and as an agent, he's being paid to advise his client.

Well said. It makes no sense for the agents to push this, as they don't stand to make much money from it. They are likely nudging him towards signing what the Suns are offering. This would seem to be Bledsoe vs The Suns. I just wish more people looked at it rationally and kept their character attacks out of it. To call a guy spoilt, or selfish, or any number of names for having the audacity to not take a long term contract that he felt undervalued him, right or wrong, is a pretty crappy thing to do.

[Rapcity_11]

I think he's a complete idiot with a giant ego.

The qualifying offer is $3mill, so he's basically taking a $9mill paycut in year 1 in the hope he remains injury free and some team out there gives him the max next year. The risk/reward he's taking on doesn't make any sense...at least not for a rational person.

Lets do the 5-year breakdown assuming he actually is a "max level" player.

Phoenix offer...over 4 years + year 5 assumes he actually becomes the max player he thinks he is.

Year 1 - $12mill
Year 2 - $12mill
Year 3 - $12mill
Year 4 - $12mill
Year 5 - $17mill
-------------------
Total - $65mill

His current ideal 5 yr scenario assuming some team out there will give him the max next year.....

Year 1 - $3mill ($9mill loss)
Year 2 - $15mill
Year 3 - $16.5mill
Year 4 - $18mill
Year 5 - $19.5mill
--------------
Total - $72mill

He's squabbling over a difference of about $1-2mill/yr and taking on huge risk in doing so.....i,e, what if he gets injured or doesnt play up to expectations?? Hell the Suns now have Dragic and Thomas......so Bledsoe might not even get the minutes he thinks he's going to get after he's been a bitch to his team all offseason.

Giant ego. Small brain.

Great analysis man. Only question I have is where do those max #'s come from? They seem high.

For example, this is wht hayward just got:

$14,746,000 $15,409,570 $16,073,140 $16,736,710

He no longer fits under the RFA guidelines so his potential income is higher.

Source for that?

[mtcan]

I predict that the LeBron James connection will lead to Bledsoe going to Cleveland for Dion Waiters. Who's Bledsoe's agent? Rich Paul!! Who else is represented by Rich Paul? LeBron James and Tristan Thompson!!! Bledsoe gonna get paid in Cleveland!!!

[Rapcity_11]

True...but! What if Eric Bledsoe made the right bet on himself, and in 5 years he is eligible for a second max contract. His new max would be eligible to start at a higher salary if he takes a max now instead of a 12M deal.

Pretty sure this isn't true. The next max would be based off of a % of the cap and years played, just like all max deals.

[brownbobcat]

I'm not so sure it's his agent pushing the max agenda. The agent has a lot to lose as well.

From KrazyP's #'s, which appear conservative, he can take home $65m over 5 years, versus a max that at best is $72m. Is it worth the risk for the Agent to push that agenda? What's the marginal gain for the agent in holding out for the max, versus the risk of injury.

They could've simply mis-read the market, thought they could get the max and promised it - now they can't back down without looking stupid. In that case, the choice for the agent is between commission on $48 mil vs. $72 mil since there's no guarantee he'll be there after the 4-yr extension expires due to screwing up.

[Komodo]

Do we know how much PHX offered? If it was 4/44 or more, who would turn down that kind of money, in PHOENIX no less? Warm weather, west coast... not sure what he's thinking.

[El Bow]

I think he's a complete idiot with a giant ego.

The qualifying offer is $3mill, so he's basically taking a $9mill paycut in year 1 in the hope he remains injury free and some team out there gives him the max next year. The risk/reward he's taking on doesn't make any sense...at least not for a rational person.

Lets do the 5-year breakdown assuming he actually is a "max level" player.

Phoenix offer...over 4 years + year 5 assumes he actually becomes the max player he thinks he is.

Year 1 - $12mill
Year 2 - $12mill
Year 3 - $12mill
Year 4 - $12mill
Year 5 - $17mill
-------------------
Total - $65mill

His current ideal 5 yr scenario assuming some team out there will give him the max next year.....

Year 1 - $3mill ($9mill loss)
Year 2 - $15mill
Year 3 - $16.5mill
Year 4 - $18mill
Year 5 - $19.5mill
--------------
Total - $72mill

He's squabbling over a difference of about $1-2mill/yr and taking on huge risk in doing so.....i,e, what if he gets injured or doesnt play up to expectations?? Hell the Suns now have Dragic and Thomas......so Bledsoe might not even get the minutes he thinks he's going to get after he's been a bitch to his team all offseason.

Giant ego. Small brain.

Great analysis man. Only question I have is where do those max #'s come from? They seem high.

For example, this is wht hayward just got:

$14,746,000 $15,409,570 $16,073,140 $16,736,710

He no longer fits under the RFA guidelines so his potential income is higher.

In Bledsoe's case it wouldn't matter. His max salary would still be limited to 4.5% raises (or 7.5% if he stays in PHX) whether he signs this year or next

[El Bow]

True...but! What if Eric Bledsoe made the right bet on himself, and in 5 years he is eligible for a second max contract. His new max would be eligible to start at a higher salary if he takes a max now instead of a 12M deal.

Pretty sure this isn't true. The next max would be based off of a % of the cap and years played, just like all max deals.

It's % of cap or 105% of previous salary, whichever is greater. This is why a player like Melo is making $22.5M this coming season

[IMAN5]

I was a big fan of Bledsoe on the Clippers and was happy for how well he played in phoenix.

The way he is handling this offseason though has really turned me off.

He sounds like a spoiled kid at Best Buy who is being offered a PS4 by his parents but starts crying and whining because he also wants the Xbox One.

Isn't he being the opposite of spoiled though? They disagree on his worth, so he is willing to play for far less this year and then test it on the market. He is giving up 9M this year in the hopes of signing a more lucrative contract next year. That isn't my definition of spoilt.

He has basically said max-deal or no deal. He hasn't had communications with the Suns for 6 months now. If he was really down to take the QO then I'm sure he would've accepted it by now like Monroe did.

[dTox]

Regardless of whether it's the agent's ploy or not, one thing is for sure, Bledsoe wants out of Phoenix. Now, I'll play devil's advocate here, maybe its not about the money at all, but more so his desire to being the only true PG in the starting lineup? This is clearly Goran's spot to lose after the monsterous season he had put up, and even though a Bledsoe-Goran lineup seems to be working, it may not be ideal from Bledsoe's POV. He now has a chance to break free from this scenario, rather than locking up for another 4-5 years, and the only way he gets dealt is if he demands it while looking like a total douche for wanting out after signing to a long contract.

Think about it this way, if you were working for a company you clearly want out from, and this was your only way, would you still stay put just because the company has offered you an extension? Or would you try to either price yourself out of their range, and hell, if they pay for it, so be it.

NOTE: Bledsoe is in no shape way or form, deserving of the max.

[daswunderboy]

I was a big fan of Bledsoe on the Clippers and was happy for how well he played in phoenix.

The way he is handling this offseason though has really turned me off.

He sounds like a spoiled kid at Best Buy who is being offered a PS4 by his parents but starts crying and whining because he also wants the Xbox One.

Isn't he being the opposite of spoiled though? They disagree on his worth, so he is willing to play for far less this year and then test it on the market. He is giving up 9M this year in the hopes of signing a more lucrative contract next year. That isn't my definition of spoilt.

He has basically said max-deal or no deal. He hasn't had communications with the Suns for 6 months now. If he was really down to take the QO then I'm sure he would've accepted it by now like Monroe did.

It's his leverage, and he'll use it to the end. Maybe he signs their contract last minute, right now both are essentially playing chicken. But if he takes the QO, good for him. Might not work out in the end, but he is putting his money where his mouth is. Not sure why so many people get angry with that.

[Rapcity_11]

True...but! What if Eric Bledsoe made the right bet on himself, and in 5 years he is eligible for a second max contract. His new max would be eligible to start at a higher salary if he takes a max now instead of a 12M deal.

Pretty sure this isn't true. The next max would be based off of a % of the cap and years played, just like all max deals.

It's % of cap or 105% of previous salary, whichever is greater. This is why a player like Melo is making $22.5M this coming season

True, I was assuming the % would be greater regardless. (Which makes no sense on second thought)

Edit: It's a non-factor either way since projecting Bledsoe to be THAT good is insane.

[IMAN5]

Isn't he being the opposite of spoiled though? They disagree on his worth, so he is willing to play for far less this year and then test it on the market. He is giving up 9M this year in the hopes of signing a more lucrative contract next year. That isn't my definition of spoilt.

He has basically said max-deal or no deal. He hasn't had communications with the Suns for 6 months now. If he was really down to take the QO then I'm sure he would've accepted it by now like Monroe did.

It's his leverage, and he'll use it to the end. Maybe he signs their contract last minute, right now both are essentially playing chicken. But if he takes the QO, good for him. Might not work out in the end, but he is putting his money where his mouth is. Not sure why so many people get angry with that.

I think it's because he isn't a max player tbh, lots of guys are thinking they should get it when they shouldn't. Lance Stephenson is a much better player than him and took less money, a fair deal with the Hornets. I don't even like Lance but if he doesn't get max dollars, no way someone like Bledsoe will. A lot of teams will see this and think character issues, similar to what happened to Lance. I think even in an open market next season as an UFA he won't get as much as he seems to think he is worth.