The Phoenix Suns still have some business to take care of with Eric Bledsoe and while Greg Monroe is a potential target, the team may look at trades this summer or this season, as they signed Isaiah Thomas and also now have Archie Goodwin, Tyler Ennis and Goran Dragic in the backcourt and to get things done with Bledsoe as an RFA, the team may pull the trigger.
According to ESPN.com, the Suns and Bledsoe are currently far apart in negotiations, as the team is offering him a deal worth about $50 million over four years, while Bledsoe is looking for a deal at five years and $30 million more. Bledsoe has shown he can be a star player, but he has missed half seasons with the Suns and Clippers and doling out that type of money to an injury prone player could be an issue. While the team has all the leverage, the longer things go the tougher it will be to come to an agreement, but the Suns have made it clear they plan on matching whatever offers he gets.
The Suns have made a number of moves this offseason to give themselves some backup if they lose Bledsoe and it also has given them leverage in the situation. The team has Goran Dragic at point guard and they drafted Tyler Ennis and that came before the Suns added Isaiah Thomas in a sign and trade with the Kings. Thomas is one of the most underrated players in the league and he is coming off of a great season with 20 points and six assists per game and he could be in line to start alongside Dragic if Bledsoe doesn't sign.
Last season the Suns were one of the most surprising teams in the league and they have a number of young, talented players to build around, including Dragic, Alex Len and now Ennis. The team could look at trading one of those backcourt players, but right now that isn't going down so the Suns have leverage over Bledsoe. Chances are the two sides will meet in the middle, but right now he remains on the market and could be poached by someone else. The Suns have enough cap space to match deals, but the Bucks and Rockets could be lurking and if one of those teams makes a move, the Suns may try and jump in for a sign and trade if the deal is too much.
Either way, the Suns want Bledsoe back and now the team is looking at their options, as Dragic and Bledsoe played very well off each other and now they have Thomas as well. The team won 48 games last season and missed the playoffs and for a comparison, the Raptors won 48 games in the east and won their division title. The team was one of the best offensive units in the league and Phoenix expects to be high scoring once again after averaging 105 points to rank fourth in the league last season. The Suns have moves to make and the dominoes could fall with Bledsoe.
