The Phoenix Suns are trying to sign Eric Bledsoe as a restricted free agent and while they love Goran Dragic in the backcourt, the team could trade Dragic at some point to keep Bledsoe, as they have explored a sign and trade with Greg Monroe and also they now have Isaiah Thomas after signing him as a free agent and also Tyler Ennis after drafting him in the first round, giving the team a stacked and athletic back court for the season.
The Suns jumped on Thomas in free agency after the Kings appeared to be not interested in signing him back and he took offense to that and now has a chip on his shoulder. The Suns are coming into the season after being a high powered offense and now they have another option in the backcourt and while they are planning on signing Eric Bledsoe back, this at least gives them some insurance if they don't.
ESPN.com writes that the Suns and Bledsoe are far apart in negotiations, but Phoenix believes that they will have Bledsoe back. One reason they likely have not made a move with Dragic (apart from liking him as a player) is to keep some leverage on Bledsoe and the signing of Thomas and the drafting of Ennis does that as well. Last season Thomas averaged 20 points and six assists and was very efficient and he should be perfect in the system for the Suns after the very solid season he had with the Kings.
Last season Bledsoe was very good when he was on the court, averaging 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game and he was great with Dragic when they were on the court together. The biggest issue for Bledsoe is his health and he has missed time with the Suns last season and also with the Clippers before that. Bledsoe is still just 24 years old and he is a perfect fit for the Suns style of offense and that is why they want to make sure they get a deal done.
According to ESPN.com writer Marc Stein, the Pacers are interested in trading for Dragic this offseason as a way to upgrade from George Hill at the point guard position. The Suns currently are not shopping Dragic and teams like the Pacers and Houston Rockets have been mentioned as possible destinations, as the Rockets just dealt Jeremy Lin this offseason and used to have Dragic on the team.
Last year the Suns were one of the most surprising teams in the NBA, as they won 48 games and challenged until the final day for a playoff spot before missing out. Many thought that the team would be in the bottom of the league, but they were strong offensively and ranked in the top 10 in scoring and that made them a tough team to beat. The team signed back PJ Tucker, although he is dealing with some off the court issues now, and also drafted Ennis and now they feel they have a young core to build around with the Morris brothers as well as Alex Len once he is back from being injured.
