Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns are making progress on a long-term deal that would end a months-long standoff between the point guard and the rising franchise, reports Yahoo!'s ace Adrian Wojnarowski. The Suns had offered a four-year deal worth $48 million early in the restricted free agency process. Woj indicates Phoenix may have moved up just a bit to $50 million. Whether that's enough to get Bledsoe's signature remains to be seen.
Eric Bledsoe, Suns make contract progress, according to report
The restricted free agent may get a long-term deal before training camp opens, after all.
Bledsoe tried and failed to find a team to offer him a max deal, which would pay out significantly more than the Suns’ offer. All sign-and-trade efforts have also failed to pique the Suns’ interest. While it would appear that an incentive-laden contract would be the right path here, Phoenix has all of the power and little incentive to cave.
Bledsoe's camp had threatened to sign the one-year qualifying offer ($3.7 million) that'd make him an unrestricted free agent in 2015. Greg Monroe followed through with that threat in Detroit after facing a similar free agency battle. But the injury risks to Bledsoe, whose had two knee surgeries and flies like a live wire around the court, are far greater, making the option much less attractive.
The Suns’ training camp opens on September 30.
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