The only two unsigned players remaining from the latest edition of the Hoops Rumors Free Agent Power Rankings are restricted free agents Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe, and that’s not altogether surprising. Negotiations with restricted free agents often drag on, as rival suitors fear the team holding the power to match offers will exercise that right. Still, this year’s market for restricted free agents has been fairly robust, and only five remain without deals, as our Free Agent Tracker shows. Here’s the latest on each of them:
There’s reportedly a wide gulf between Bledsoe, who’s seeking a max deal that would be worth $84,789,500 over five years, and the Suns, who’ve offered four years and $48MM. The Bucks have been in pursuit and apparently discussed an offer sheet with the point guard, but they don’t possess the cap flexibility necessary to make an offer substantially more than what the Suns have on the table, unless they can clear salary via trade. There were some around the NBA who thought agent Rich Paul tried to sell clubs on Bledsoe as they came to make pitches for fellow Paul client LeBron James earlier this month. Still, aside from the Suns, none of the teams who spoke with Paul about LeBron have subsequently been linked to Bledsoe. The Jazz had reportedly been prepared to make an offer to Bledsoe as free agency began, but they used most of their cap room to retain Gordon Hayward, their own restricted free agent.
The Pistons apparently had serious talks with the Blazers about a sign-and-trade that ended when the Blazers came to terms with Chris Kaman. The reported interest from the Magic is “lukewarm at best,” as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press wrote earlier this month. Monroe visited the Verizon Center in Washington, home of the Wizards, whose interest was identified as early as January, but the Wizards are over the cap now. The Pistons and Pelicans reportedly had talks about a sign-and-trade involving Ryan Anderson, but there’s been little movement on that front since the report emerged on the first day of free agency. The Hawks made contact soon after free agency began, and the Cavs mulled a run too, though that was before Cleveland signed LeBron James.
The Spurs hope to retain the center and will reportedly match any reasonable offer.
No reports since the start of free agency. The combo guard expressed a desire in May to re-sign with the Hawks.
Rival suitors were apparently confident as free agency began that they could snatch him away from the Hawks, though like Mack, he said in May that he would like to return to Atlanta.