Eric Bledsoe continues to be the biggest name on the market as the point guard awaits to see where he will play next season. The Phoenix Suns want to retain him, but contract talks are stalling. It does not help that the team has already built up their backup plan, further driving in the point that they will not give into overpriced contract demands. So with Bledsoe likely out of Phoenix, where does he land?
The Phoenix Suns will do all they can to retain Bledsoe despite making the trade for Isaiah Thomas earlier in the offseason. The team offering the restricted free agent a four-year, $48 million contract, but the point guard wants $80 million over five years. Despite the distance in negotiations, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders is reporting that the Suns will match any offer placed on Bledsoe. Currently, teams can only offer a deal higher than what Phoenix has already presented, giving them the upper hand.
With that, a trade with the Los Angeles Lakers appears out of the question. The Lakers have been keeping up with Bledsoe's offseason, aiming to possibly make a deal despite having Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin on the roster. The Lakers failed to land anyone marquee in free agency after chasing both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and getting Bledsoe would be a solid splash. However, Kyler continues his report noting that the Lakers will not be abl to afford to outbid Phoenix and they lack the assets to please them in a trade.
That leaves the Houston Texans as one of the remaining teams who could take on Bledsoe. Like the Lakers, they failed to land their top options in free agency, settling on players like Trevor Ariza. Their point guard situation still needs some work with Patrick Beverly holding down the spot. Bledsoe would certainly be a nice fit for the team. They are currently targeting a trade for Rajon Rondo so there is a chance the Rockets do not even glance the point guard's way.
Phoenix is making it known that Bledsoe will be back with the team come next season. He can either sign a one-year qualifying offer or a contract extension if the sides can agree to a number. If he does not sign the new deal, he has the ability to become a free agent next offseason, so a one-year deal is the likely outcome.
