SH Blog: Woodson decision to come next week; Kyrie wants something special in Cleveland; Suns say nobody is getting Bledsoe

• The Phoenix Suns have made it clear, nobody is getting Eric Bledsoe: “”That’s what we’re planning on doing,” Suns GM Ryan McDonough told Burns and Gambo on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Wednesday when asked if the Bledsoe will be retained, be it via a contract he signs with the Suns or one that is signed with someone else but matched by the team. “I think Eric did a terrific job after he was frustrated with the injury. “He came back and played extremely well for us down the stretch.” Bledsoe has missed 39 games this season due to injury, but since coming back from having knee surgery has pretty much picked off right where he left off with regards to his play. In 18 games, he has averaged 18.1 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.2 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from three-point range. “I think it was good for him to come back and show that he was healthy, for us and everybody else to see it,” McDonough added. Overall, Bledsoe has been every bit the player the Suns hoped they were getting when they pulled the trigger on the trade that brought him and Caron Butler to the Valley in exchange for Jared Dudley and a second-round pick. “We view him as a core part of our team going forward,” the GM said. “I think there were some questions externally about how it would work with him and Goran going into the season, and we don’t have any doubts that those guys answered the questions and that they’re one of the premier backcourts in the NBA.””

• Kyrie Irving is changing his tone on a contract extension with the Cavaliers: “”I’ve been a part of this and I want to continue to be a part of this,” he said. “We’re making strides in the right direction, especially in this organization. I want to be part of something special, and I want to be part of something special in Cleveland. “I don’t have a definitive answer to that right now, but it’ll be something special. I can guarantee that.” The Cavaliers are expected to make a maximum five-year contract extension offer to Irving this summer. “It’s a big deal for me and my family if they do offer that. It would be exciting, and I’ll make the best decision for me and my family. That’s what it’s going to boil down to for myself.” Irving said he might have grown more this season than in any other in his three-year NBA career – even though his .429 shooting was the lowest of his career. A year ago, for instance, he skipped out on the Cavaliers’ Fan Appreciation Night shoe giveaway; this year, he tossed out several. “This year was a constant learning year,” Irving said. “This was a learning year for me, strictly that. I learned a lot about myself, about being a better point guard from all aspects of the game and becoming a better leader. That, right there, is a work in progress. I’m a work in progress, and I’ve already admitted that.””

• Former Knicks guard Larry Hughes was arrested at the Trump Soho hotel on Friday: “Former Knicks player Larry Hughes was walked out of the Trump SoHo hotel in handcuffs Friday after a night of partying at notorious club Greenhouse, which he partly owns. Hughes, 35, was questioned at the 1st Precinct about an earlier incident at the luxury hotel and was then released without being charged, sources said. Hughes — who is 6 feet 5 and was listed as 184 pounds when he played — was the 8thpick in the 1998 NBA Draft and was traded to the Knicks for the 2009-2010 season before finishing his career with the Orlando Magic in 2011-2012. Greenhouse draws a hot slate of celebrities, musicians and professional athletes — but the exclusive club has also been the site of numerous violent high-profile fights. A brawl between some University of South Carolina football players and a New York club promoter at Greenhouse on April 11 ended with one of the players stabbed and the promoter’s face smashed, law-enforcement sources have said. A Bronx woman suffered a broken eye socket and needed 20 stitches after a nutcase hurled a bottle that smashed her in the face on Feb. 22, cops said.”

• Roy Hibbert says it was the wrong move to call out his teammates: “”You know, I think that I should’ve kept my frustrations to myself or just in the locker room,” Hibbert said on “ESPN First Take.” “I will admit that it wasn’t the best thing to do. I’ll learn from that, and I was wrong. There are better ways to handle that than going to the media. All in all, I learned. I talked to my teammates; they talked to me. I’m willing to accept the criticism. It wasn’t the best thing to do.” After a 91-78 loss to the Washington Wizards on March 28, Hibbert had some choice words for his teammates. “Some selfish dudes in here,” the center told reporters. “Some selfish dudes. I’m tired of talking about it. We’ve been talking about it for a month.” Hibbert was criticized for what he said and when he said it — the Pacers have struggled mightily after the All-Star break. Earlier this week Dan Dakich, an ESPN basketball analyst who has a talk show on ESPN 1070 The Fan in Indianapolis, questioned Hibbert’s toughness.”

• Duke sophomore Rodney Hood will officially enter the NBA Draft: ““Rodney had two terrific years here at Duke,” Krzyzewski said. “He was an integral part of our team two years ago because he was such a great practice player and this year he was one of the best players in the country. So consistent and a great young man on and off the court. He will do really well in the NBA and obviously he will always be a part of what we do and we wish him the best.” Hood finished the year ranked among the ACC leaders in scoring (8th, 16.1 ppg.), field goal percentage (4th, .464 – 191-of-412), free throw percentage (9th, .807 – 109-of-135), three-point percentage (1st, .420 – 71-of-169) and made three-pointers (8th, 2.03). He was the only player in the ACC to rank among the top 10 in each of those categories. The Meridian, Miss., native was second on the team with 30 double-figure scoring games, including 10 games with 20 or more points scored.  A transfer from Mississippi State where he was named to the SEC All-Freshman team in 2011-12, Hood had the most points and three-point field goals in a first season by a transfer under Coach K. He was at his best in Cameron Indoor Stadium, where he averaged 17.9 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while shooting 51.5 percent (101-of-196) from the field, 41.0 percent (34-of-83) from three-point range and 87.2 percent (68-of-78) from the free throw line.”

• Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak says they are on the same page with Kobe: “”I’ve already used the word patience I think once or twice, so if [Bryant] is in Europe watching this, I’m sure he’s saying, ‘Why is Mitch using the word ‘patience?'” Kupchak said. “He’s not the most patient person in the world. And that’s never going to change. “Because of that, we’ve been to the Finals a bunch of times and we’ve won five championships. So, it’s hard to criticize him. “We want the same thing. We both want to win as much and as soon as possible. But it takes an organization a long time to get in the position that we’re in where we have options financially going forward for the next year or two or three and we just have to make wise decisions using that space. If you don’t make a wise decision, then you can set yourself back 6-7 years and we don’t want to do that.” That issue, the tug to contend for a championship during the final two seasons Bryant is under contract for and the need to take their time in wisely rebuilding the franchise through free agency and the draft, is the most important question facing the Lakers this offseason. They’ll have a lottery pick for the first time since 2005, and it will be their highest draft pick since 1982 when the Lakers took James Worthy No. 1 overall. They’ll also have substantial salary cap space to build a roster around Bryant through free agency or with a high-impact trade.”

Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.