SH Blog: Bledsoe to Minnesota is not happening; Kings sign Sessions

This Eric Bledsoe situation is a lot like a million-dollar game of chicken.

At one end, you’ve got Ryan McDonough and the Suns, who refuse to offer Bledsoe a long-term deal for more than they feel he’s worth.

At the other, you’ve got Bledsoe and his agent, who refuse to sign a long-term offer for less than they feel Bledsoe’s worth.

If neither turns away, it’ll end up with Bledsoe playing one more year in Phoenix for a qualifying offer, and then bolting for unrestricted free agency. And that’s not a win for either side.

It seemed for a minute like Flip Saunders (with, it must be said, hardly altruistic motives) would swoop in and offer a fourth option, where Bledsoe could get paid and the Suns would keep their cap space next offseason, as well as picking up an asset or two.

But that’s not going to happen, and Dave King of Bright Side of the Sun explains why:

The Phoenix Suns are not interested in dumping Bledsoe on another team for the dreaded trade package of “[average starter], future picks and cap filler”. The Suns already have those in spades.

• The Suns have 2 near All-Stars (Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe)
• Six more rotation players with starting experience (Isaiah Thomas, Gerald Green, P.J. Tucker, Markieff Morris, Marcus Morris, Miles Plumlee). You can quibble over whether some other team’s average starter is better than one of these six, but the problem is that you’re getting that player for a near All-Star in Bledsoe. That’s a “trade down”.
• The Suns already have more draft picks than they can use in the next two years. The Lakers’ pick (top 5 protected) and their own in 2015, then Bogdan Bogdanovic and their own in 2016. This on top of four players 21 and under on the current roster already. No, the Suns will not be swayed with “future picks”.
• “Cap filler” – the Suns have 15 players under contract already. They don’t need cap filler to round out a roster, and they especially don’t need bad contracts as part of that filler.

I know you would like to quibble with the logic I used, and of course you are free to do so.

But I’m telling you right now I have it on good authority that the Suns would only consider sign-and-trade offers for Eric Bledsoe that net them an equal or better individual player in return. And I’ve been saying the same all summer.

I can see the Suns considering a star-quality 2014 draft pick in return to start the conversation (Julius Randle, Wiggins, etc) but otherwise they only will take a veteran back that’s at least as good as Eric Bledsoe.

Don’t think of trades in way of aggregation. Don’t think the Suns want a many-for-one trade involving Bledsoe. The Suns are in the business of getting better as a result of trades, not worse. To trade Bledsoe for leftovers is a step back, considering the roster as already constructed.

Bledsoe has more value to the Suns than any trade offer proposed to date.

So now we’re back to the summer-long game of chicken that doesn’t look like it’ll end up making anyone happy.

Here’s the rest of the latest news as the NBA slowly begins to emerge from its annual hibernation:

ANDRAY BLATCHE OFF TO CHINA

He rehabilitated his public perception with a surprisingly good stay in Brooklyn, but it doesn’t seem like it’ll be enough to get Blatche another NBA job.

Enea Trapani of Sportando:

After the signing of Jordan Crawford and the end of the negotiation with Lester Hudson Xinjiang Flying Tigers arr reportedly close to sign Philippines’ big man Andray Blatche.

There were many rumors around the team about the possibile signing of Australian big man Aaron Baynes. Xinjiang’s management confirmed the addition of a big man who played in World Cup, but denied the deal with Baynes, as reported by Hupu.

Last season Blatche played in Brooklyn and averaged 10.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.