Greg Monroe folded when it came to his restricted free agency. The Detroit Pistons big man gave in to a one-year qualifying offer after failing to negotiate a trade or contract extension of his liking. Now, Monroe has the chance to become an unrestricted free agent next summer if the Pistons do not deal him first. That leaves Eric Bledsoe to determine a plan of action in his standoff with the Phoenix Suns. Could an endorsement from LeBron James help things along.
Those following the Instagram accounts of Bledsoe and James have been seeing evidence of the two putting in several workouts together during the offseason. James is preparing to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to potential playoff glory while Bledsoe's future remains uncertain. One of James' Instagram captions called for an agreement between the point guard and the Phoenix Suns. James wrote, "Great work today lil bro @ebled2!! Future All-Star in this league in no time. PHX break bread. #Klutch #Work #GymRats #STriveForGreatness."
Fun fact, Bledsoe and James share the same agent, Rich Paul. James' endorsement to get his friend his money will likely not even fall on the Phoenix Suns' radar, but no matter what, the issue must be resolved. The team offered Bledsoe a four -year, $48 million contract while the point guard wants a max contract. His only other option is to take a $3.7 million qualifying offer and take the Monroe approach to become an unrestricted free agent sooner rather than later.
According to CBSSports.com, the Suns are still exploring trade options for Bledsoe. At this point in the offseason, that will not come. Steve Kyler of BasketballInsiders.com reports that if a team is going to make a deal, it could be the Los Angeles Lakers. If they can somehow manage to dump Steve Nash's contract, Bledsoe could come on. However, Los Angeles will likely hold off and wait until free agency next summer when they would have the means to sign both Monroe and Bledsoe.
AZ Central.com reports that the Suns are considering increasing their offer on Bledsoe. The issue is that Goran Dragic is also approaching free agency and Phoenix appears to favor the international star who is likely to pass on his $7.5 million option in order to be an unrestricted free agent. If Phoenix does not increase the offer on Bledsoe, they could continue to try and seek out a sign and trade. The Houston Rockets might be interested. At this point, Bledsoe should simply take the qualifying offer and let teams fight over him next season.
