Suns GM Ryan McDonough believes Eric Bledsoe is receiving “bad advice” in his desire to get out of Phoenix, relays Chris Haynes of ESPN.
The remarks were made during an interview Tuesday with Arizona Sports 98.7 and are apparently a swipe at Bledsoe’s agent, Rich Paul, who represents several other high-profile clients, including LeBron James. Bledsoe reportedly had hoped to join James in Cleveland as part of a deal for Kyrie Irving and was “depressed” when that trade fell through.
“I think Eric’s a good person,” McDonough said. “I think he’s unfortunately gotten some bad advice and is listening to the wrong people. I think generally, any time you sign a contract, it doesn’t only work one way. It works both ways, and for a guy with years on his contract to say or intimate he didn’t want to be here anymore, I didn’t find that to be appropriate, and I think if he says he wants to be a leader, that’s the opposite of what a leader does and the opposite of what leadership is.”
Bledsoe, 27, is currently in limbo after being sent home prior to Monday’s game. It seems unlikely that he will ever play for Phoenix again, but the team hasn’t made much progress in trade talks over the past 48 hours, with one source suggesting that the asking price is way too high.
Bledsoe made news Sunday with a tweet that stated, “I Dont wanna be here,” and although he insisted it wasn’t related to the team, there have been other indications he wants out of Phoenix. Haynes notes that Bledsoe met with McDonough and owner Robert Sarver during the preseason, questioning several personnel moves and free agency failures during his four years with the franchise. Sources say Bledsoe was told that the team had underperformed since he became the starting point guard.
McDonough said in the interview that he has received some “pretty intriguing offers,” but feels no urgency to complete a deal because Bledsoe isn’t playing. The Knicks, Nuggets and Bucks are among the teams that have reportedly reached out to Phoenix.
“If you can imagine, my phone was ringing a lot yesterday,” McDonough said. “The ideal time to get a deal done is whenever the best offer presents itself. So we’d be fine doing it sooner rather than later. At the same time, he’s under contract for this year plus next year. We sent him away from the team to eliminate that distraction. So we’re willing to do a deal, we’re open to do a deal whenever the best offer presents itself.”
Good Trade for both sides:
Nikilitina and Hernangomez for Chandler and Bledsoe
terrible trade… NY don’t even know what they have in Frank and Herangomez yet, and they’re young guys with tons of upside…
Bledsoe and Chandler haven’t much left in the tank and KP is still years away from his peak…
Terrible terrible terrible
Suns sending out 20 more millions than they receive?
Value-wise and salary-wise impossible.
Yes, that’s all the Knicks need is another center and loads of contract money.
You need to look at both sides of the deal.
I’ll give you maybe, Hernangomez.
Sorry Frank is not for sale, I would only include him for someone like Irving (apparently Cavs only liked KP)
And I’ll include a lottery protected first.
YES I’M KNICKS Fan. I won’t clean out the few assets we have (outside KP) for the likes of Eric Bledsoe. “Frank doesn’t play” because he’s 19 years old, and Knicks are bringing him along slowly. It doesn’t mean he’s a scrub, by any stretch of the imagiantion. No one knows what the highest floor / lowest ceiling draft prospect (Frank Ntilikina) will bring. He was labeled “best defender” of his draft class, and I’ll take my chances than cleaning house for 27 year old Bledsoe signed for 2 more years.
imagination*
just buy him out the suns screwed up his trade value
awful idea.
McDonough is just salty that he can’t get anything good in return for Bledsoe. His tweet likely lowered his trade value IMO, since that conveys to the league that he absolutely doesn’t want to play in PHX. If anything, Suns management has mishandled the situation by not finding a suitor in the offseason, facilitating the drama and really destroying his value.
Bledsoe and 2018 Suns 2nd round pick for Dellavadova, Vaughn, DJ Wilson, and the Bucks 2020 1st round pick
Send him to the worst team in the NBA, Oh wait……..
Bledsoe is a All Star in a East side Team Chandler The Veteran and Nikilitina and Hernangomez have combine Zero Minutes is Perfect for both Teams !
I don’t think you understand how NBA trades work.
Hey Einstein. Chandler and Bledsoe together make 27 million. The 2 young guys make 3 million. Since the Knicks are over the cap salaries must match. Please go away until you actually know about the NBA. You continue to make a fool of yourself time an time again.
Stop wasting time. Dude is either actually from another country, as he claims, or is just a perpetual troll. He has made Bledsoe + Chandler mentions in literally every thread for at least the past year lol. Don’t feed the troll
To get what the Suns owner wants, he’ll have to wait until the February deadline, just like the Cavs , Bulls, Pacers, and Thunder had to wait. With Brandon Knight out for the season, they’ll have to get a starting point guard in return. The salaries will have to match. Nobody wanted to give a high draft pick for Paul George, Jimmy Butler (the Celtics didn’t), or Carmelo. They won’t Bledsoe either with his knees. I see the Nuggets or he stays in Phoenix!
I’m a Pacers fan living in Cleveland. The Cavs don’t have the assets. If not having to offer Myles Turner a contract extension next season, I could see the Pacers offering Thadeus Young and either Darren Collison or Corey Jefferson. The Nuggets have 3 power forwards including Paul Milsap, and not Hernangomez. I see them offering Faried (he was offered to Cavs), Mudiay, and a future pick.
The Cavs do have Brooklyn’s unprotected pick. I’m not saying straight for Bled. However if James and Bled are as close as they supposedly are they’res value in Keeping James happy in Cleveland. So Bledsoe and Miami #1. And future suns number 1 or Miami’s other number one To Cleveland for Brooklyn’s pick and matching Salary?
Isaiah Thomas and Lebron are fine, so are Dwayne Wade, Derrick Rose and Lebron. Dan Gilbert has spent too much on the luxury tax. He’s fine waiting on Isaiah to return. Thomas and Bledsoe wouldn’t work, nor would Thomas going back to Phoenix. And they won’t trade the Brooklyn pick because it’s Lebron’s replacement whenever he leaves!
Jo Marie Kurie Nikilitina sign 5 Mio Rookie contrackt and Willi Hernangomez 4 give Noah to is The Trade perfekt
Plus the Cavs wouldn’t have made the Kyrie deal without the Brooklyn pick, and didn’t trade with Phoenix because they wouldn’t give up Josh Jackson! Lebron and Bledsoe aren’t buddies. They have the same agent!
Thomas. I was just throwing it out because you said they have nothing. LeBron and Bled are friends it’s been long documented. Bled was on ESPN the Jump on 9/14 talking about his personal friendships with James. This summer Bled was working out with LeBron and Derrick Rose in Vegas.
They practiced in Vegas together when they were discussing the trade with the Cavs that the Suns refused because the Cavs wanted Josh Jackson both at the draft and with Kyrie included. Wade, CP3 (Lebron asked for him, that’s why Kyrie got upset), and Melo are the ones he said he’d like to retire with. Not knowing what Lebron and a lot of the Cavs roster will do after next season and how much the owner will have to spend to keep them, I don’t see them taking on Bledsoes contract, especially since last season was his only season over 20 ppg and his history with his knees.
Isaiah Thomas makes $7 million this year, Derrick Rose and Jose Calderon make the league minimum, Bledsoe makes $15 million. The Cavs offered Iman Shumpert ($10 million) and Channing Frye ($9 million) for Melo. This is why I don’t see the Cavs pursuing Bledsoe!