For some reason, the Phoenix Suns have put themselves in quite the vulnerable situation.
With innovative coach Jeff Hornacek at the helm, the Suns were truly one of the biggest surprise teams of last season. No one expected them to be in a dog fight to be a playoff team in April. Hell, not many expected them to win even 30 games. Yet, they won 48 games and became one of the most dynamic offensive teams in the league (eighth-best offensive rating) despite playing half the season without Eric Bledsoe.
The good news is that they have the pieces to build on all that success even after losing Channing Frye this summer. The bad news? They’re in position to potentially lose both of their most important pieces to the puzzle after this season: Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe. How did this happen? Marc Stein of ESPN fills us in:
The deadline for the Suns’ prized restricted free agent to sign his qualifying offer isn’t until Oct. 1. And these parties have been locked in a stalemate for months.
As ESPN.com reported in August, Bledsoe is seeking the five-year max from Phoenix worth $85 million. The Suns’ offer has topped out, to this point, at a reported $48 million over four years. The resulting impasse — and tension — has led to both parties exploring sign-and-trade options while Bledsoe himself inches closer to playing next season on a $3.7 million qualifier that would allow him to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2015.
Going the latter route would be an undeniable risk for Bledsoe, coming off a second knee surgery that limited him to 43 games last season, but make no mistake: Phoenix would be facing tremendous risk here as well. Should Bledsoe decide to sign the qualifying offer, as appears increasingly likely if no sign-and-trade materializes, Bledsoe can’t be traded without his consent for the whole season … and would instantly set himself up to join Dragic as an unrestricted free agent next summer.
Consider that last sentence again.
If Bledsoe elects to go the rare qualifying offer route, Phoenix would suddenly face the very real possibility of losing both of its two best assets without compensation in 2015 free agency.
Stein also mentioned in the article that Gerald Green will be an unrestricted free agent after this season, while the Morris twins will become restricted free agents. As good as this team has it right now, it could all blow up real soon if they don’t come to a resolution on the Bledsoe situation. It’s true that giving Bledsoe what he desires is a gamble, mainly due to his injury-prone nature from last season when he missed 39 games. That said, his value to the team was undeniable: the Suns were 31-12 with him in the lineup and 17-22 without him. Needless to say, that’s pretty incredible.
If the Suns fail to keep Bledsoe, the Los Angeles Lakers and other teams will try to swoop in to take both Bledsoe and Dragic next summer. More from Stein:
The Lakers, for example, are just one team league sources say would likely make a hard run at both of them, based on the premise that the Suns couldn’t afford the cost of paying both at that point, theoretically making either Bledsoe or Dragic gettable. Sources say that Houston, furthermore, has Dragic on its list of potential targets next summer given how he’s blossomed since leaving the Rockets for Phoenix in the free-agent summer of 2012.
If Bledsoe signs the qualifier, furthermore, you can pretty much bank on him leaving Phoenix as soon as he gets the chance, because players don’t take that sort of gamble and then bury the bad feelings months later to re-sign with the incumbent team. And that would naturally increase Dragic’s leverage in the process, because Phoenix simply couldn’t stomach losing its two most valuable players, who both happen to play what is routinely regarded as the most important position on the floor in the modern NBA.
If the Suns don’t play this right – and they need to make a decision real soon – they could end up setting themselves back for years to come.
OTHER NEWS FROM AROUND THE LEAGUE:
Reggie Jackson says he is aiming to become a 50 percent 3-point shooter and has no interest in coming off the bench, from Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: “I’m still staying consistent working on 3s. I can definitely up my percentage in 3s by cutting down some of the nonsense shots at the end of quarters that aren’t going to have a chance to go in. But just working on the mid-range game. I feel like I’ve improved on my long ball skills and can still improve even more. I want to shoot 40 percent or higher. I’m actually aiming for 50. So hopefully that will put me at 40 percent plus… I don’t think about ever coming off the bench for any team. If that’s the role I’m put in, that’s what I’m put in. But since the day I thought about playing in the NBA, I’ve always been a starter. Everything I’ve thought about, whether it be middle school, high school, kids leagues, I never envisioned coming off the bench. When you think about playing basketball, you see the first five guys get on the floor, and that’s something I’ve always prided myself on being. I want to be the best player I can be. I want to be the best player in the world. I don’t think those guys are necessarily coming off the bench. So I’ve never thought about that or even had that idea in the back of my mind.”
- Kenneth Faried and the Denver Nuggets are in discussion for a contract extension – something he clearly deserves – according to Marc Stein of ESPN: “Faried clearly wants to stay with Nuggets and is mounting quite a contract drive as negotiations continue on extension to keep him in Denver.”
- The Los Angeles Clippers have signed Chris Douglas-Roberts and Ekpe Udoh, from NBA.com: “The Los Angeles Clippers announced today that they have signed free agent forward/guard Chris Douglas-Roberts and forward/center Ekpe Udoh. Terms of the deals were not disclosed. “Chris and Ekpe are two versatile players who bring depth and a strong presence to our team,” Clippers President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach Doc Rivers said. “We are excited to add them to the roster.”
A fan named Chris McCord owns every every pair of Kevin Durant’s signature “KD VI” colorways. Here is his story, from Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman: “But during that random trip two Junes ago, McCord entered his name in one of those one-in-a-no-chance mall raffles, holding about as much hope of winning as he had of scoring a new Lexus at one of the nearby kiosks. “I just put my name on the paper,” he remembered. “Didn’t really know what was going on.” Two days later, McCord got a call. Surprise: he had been selected. His prize? McCord had earned the right to purchase a pair of shoes at retail price. On the surface, doesn’t sound like much of a reward. But these were the KD VI Preheats, the first colorway release of Kevin Durant’s latest Nike shoe. McCord returned to the store and, for $130, bought a pair of flashy neon green and black-and-white striped shoes that he has never worn. But he doesn’t regret the purchase. Just the opposite. It’s one of his favorites in a collection that’s now 25 deep. McCord owns every available colorway (or color scheme) of the KD VI line.”
Steven Adams was not fond of what Andre Iguodala said about the traditional Haka dance of the New Zealand national team, from Slater of The Oklahoman: “On Tuesday afternoon, the New Zealand national team performed its traditional haka dance before its FIBA game against the United States. Video of it made the national rounds (watch here), with a confused James Harden looking on. After USA’s 98-71 romp, Warriors forward Andre Iguodala shot out a playful tweet, jabbing at the dance. It read: “New Zealand thought they dance was gone intimidate us…. That ain’t nothing but the A town stump!” Adams, the only New Zealander ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, took offense to it. He’s not on the national roster — choosing instead to focus on personal development this offseason — but still played some of the best defense we saw from New Zealand on Tuesday.The direct tweet at Iguodala: “show some respect for my culture.”
Not surprisingly, Jerry Colangelo and Coach K love what they have in Anthony Davis, from Sean Deveney of Sporting News: “He is an incredible talent,” Team USA executive director Jerry Colangelo said. “What you have to like about him is that he is just scratching the surface of his potential. He seems to gain an understanding more and more each day, understanding what we are doing and what we need for him. And that helps his talent show through. “I think all of that is only going to help him when he gets back to the NBA game, as it has done for a lot of players who have come through with us.”… “Anthony is one of the best players in the world,” coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “We saw that developing in the (2012) Olympics, and I think him being around all those great players helped him. Monty has done a terrific job coaching him. He’s not only coached him, but he’s developed a great relationship with him.”
Ryan Anderson is ready for contact work and is on track to be ready for the beginning of the season, from John Reid of The Times Picayune: “New Orleans Pelicans forward Ryan Anderson announced on his Twitter account Wednesday that he has been medically cleared to begin contact work. It comes eight months after Anderson suffered a season-ending neck injury on Jan. 3 when he collided with Boston Celtics forward Gerald Wallace and was carted off the court at the TD Garden on a stretcher. Anderson underwent successful surgery on his cervical spin for a herniated disc in April.He was initially not expected to resume basketball activities for 4-6 months following surgery, according to the Pelicans. Before Wednesday’s announcement, Anderson had been working his way back through rehabilitation.”
Josh Smith has bulked up this summer as he prepares to play more power forward in the upcoming season, from Keith Langlois of NBA.com: “In their off-season communication, Stan Van Gundy and Josh Smith have focused more on big-picture stuff: team culture, leadership, chemistry. It was lighter on the specifics, but Smith heard enough to tailor his summer workout regimen. “I’m ready to play whatever position is asked of me,” said Smith, noticeably thicker in the chest and shoulders, in his first day back at the Pistons practice facility on Tuesday. “But I’m going to play a lot of (power forward) and that was my main focus on being able to get more in the weight room and put some more muscle on my body to be able to withstand that physicality in the paint. I played that position so much, so long in the league that I know how big you have to be in order to be able, night in and night out, to withstand that impact and that physical nature inside the paint.”
- The New York Knicks announced the hiring of a number of assistant coaches for Derek Fisher, from Ian Begley of ESPN NY: “Knicks announce that Jim Cleamons, Rasheed Hazzard, Brian Keefe and Joshua Longstaff have been added to Derek Fisher’s coaching staff.”
Ivan Johnson has been invited to Dallas Mavericks’ training camp with no guarantees, but someone important on the team enjoys his game. Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com has details: “With two years of NBA experience already on his resume, big man Ivan Johnson will enter the Dallas Mavericks’ training camp later this month with no guarantees and a chip on his broad shoulders. Known for his tenacious presence in the interior, Johnson will try to earn a spot on the regular-season roster by impressing the Mavericks’ brass in camp after signing a reported non-guaranteed contract with the team this summer. The 6-foot-8, 255-pounder will also attempt to show that he can expand his game after working tirelessly with Mavs coach Rick Carlisle to stretch his shooting range to behind the three-point arc. “You know, I like Ivan’s game. I’ve liked it for a long time,” Carlisle said after working with Johnson this summer. “I think there’s a couple of things that he can do to enhance his value, both to us and in the league, and so we’re spending some time on those things. But he’s got a great opportunity in this camp to show what he can do, and again, we have some roster spots that are up for grabs and he’ll be one of the guys that’s got an opportunity.”
DeMarcus Cousins explained why he is with Team USA, from Michael Lee of Washington Post: ““I mean, people are going to say what they say. If you don’t understand what I’m out here to do every night, then you’re not really trying to understand,” Cousins said recently. “My main purpose every night is to win a game. If you can’t accept that, then say what you got to say.”… “The thing is, it’s not about me showing what I can do. They know what I can do,” Cousins said of the coaching staff. “It’s just about learning the whole scheme of what they’re trying to do. The injury kind of set me back with learning the scheme but I’m trying to learn it on the fly and learn it as fast as possible. It’s been a lot on my plate.”… “I’m so excited,” Cousins said. “That’s the main reason I wanted to be a part of this team. I’m back and be able to teach the other guys on my [NBA] team things that I’ve learned overseas. It’s going to help me become a better leader, become a better teammate. Take advantage of it every way I can.”- Deron Williams says he still doesn’t feel like a New Yorker, and being in the city has made it difficult for him to put his kids into comfortable schools (someone should tell him about the Westchester area). Devin Kharpertian of The Brooklyn Game has details: “I’m not going to lie. I don’t really feel so much like a New Yorker. I grew up in an apartment in Texas where you could send your kids outside like ‘yeah, go play in the sun.’ Here it’s more challenging. The process of getting them into school is a nightmare. Even private schools where you pay are an ordeal. In Utah, you just send your kids to the first public school in the area because they’re all great. Truth is, we enjoy getting away from the hustle and bustle and going back to Utah every summer. It’s a relief to take that timeout. No traffic. No crowds. My daughters still have their friends there. There’s a big backyard. They go to the pool; the playground and they jump on the trampoline. Kids running wild and free here (in New York)…? I don’t think so.”
- Did these pranksters go too far with the “Stepping on Jordans in the Hood Prank”? David Astramskas of ballislife shares his thoughts on the ridiculous video.
James Park is a blogger and editor of Sheridan Hoops. Follow him on twitter @SheridanBlog.
FURTHERMORE!