The Phoenix Suns are planning to be aggressive in free agency and after shopping an Eric Bledsoe trade to teams like the NY Knicks and Boston Celtics, the Suns could be ready to target Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Knight as free agents once things open up on July 1, as they could have some cap space to spend.
The Suns reportedly are pushing a deal for Eric Bledsoe this summer and if they trade the guard, it could set the team up to sign a major name like Kevin Love. According to the Sporting News, Sean Deveney reported that the team offered the Knicks a trade with Bledsoe and a first round pick for the number four pick in the draft, but that was rebuffed. At the time Deveney reported that the team would continue shopping Bledsoe if a deal did not happen and now the Suns are doing that.
UPDATE: Knight is signing a deal with the Suns. Kevin Love is signing with the Cavaliers. Tyson Chandler is signing with the Suns.
Last year the team signed Eric Bledsoe to a five year deal worth $70 million and during the season the team traded away their other point guards in Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas. After those moves were made many felt the Suns would build around Bledsoe, but now it looks like he could be moved. According to Pro Basketball Talk, the Suns have extended Knight a qualifying offer and GM Ryan McDonough may want to build around him over Bledsoe moving forward.
Knight reportedly will sign with the Suns this offseason and that could spell the end for Bledsoe, as he is set to be locked in on a five year deal worth $70 million, according to Bucks beat writer Gery Woelfel of the Journal-Times. All of that plays into what Adrian Wojnarowski reported for Yahoo Sports, as he writes that the Suns plan to be "aggressive" in trying to woo Kevin Love if the team can trade Bledsoe. Moving Bledsoe would give the team cap space and while Love is likely to stay in Cleveland, he could be swayed by a max contract offer.
Love is opting out of his contract and will hit free agency for the Cavs and while he is expected to return to Cleveland, a number of teams could be in the mix to meet with him. The Lakers, Knicks and Celtics all have money to spend, while Yahoo Sports reports that the Blazers could be a "dark horse" option, as Love is from the Pacific Northwest. If Love leaves he will make less money on the market and the Suns could offer him a max deal if they trade Bledsoe, as they plan on signing Knight and that could keep the cap tight.
The Suns may chase other free agents, as AZCentral.com reports that DeMarre Carroll, Arron Afflalo and Greg Monroe are potential targets. The team is planning on keeping Knight and he could be the player that takes over if the team moves Bledsoe. Knight comes in after playing in just 11 games for the Suns, but he has a ton of potential and averaged 17 points and a career best 5.2 assists per game this season. Knight is slightly younger and the Suns may see him as having more upside than Bledsoe moving forward.