“Right now, it’s borderline preposterous,” the GM tells Amico. “It should come down eventually. It has to.”

Bledsoe and his agent Rich Paul expressed a desire for a trade during the offseason, but the Suns have ramped up their efforts this week, with the Nuggets and Bucks among the most viable potential landing spots, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. Trade scenarios are still evolving, and it’s not clear how long it will take for Phoenix to find a satisfactory deal, according to Kyler, who adds that the club appears to be looking into moving Tyson Chandler too, perhaps in the same trade.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN chimes in on Bledsoe as well, tweeting that the Suns’ goal of landing a high-upside young player in any deal has been an impediment, since Bledsoe’s value isn’t exactly at its peak.

Here’s more on the Suns:

• In the wake of the Suns’ horrible start to the season and Earl Watson‘s dismissal, Greg Moore of AZCentral.com wonders why owner Robert Sarver hasn’t made any public comments about the team’s situation.
• In a separate piece for Basketball Insiders, Kyler wonders whether Watson was essentially set up to fail in Phoenix as the club struggles through a rebuilding process.
• Shortly after Watson was fired, Dan Majerle became the subject of speculation as a possible target for the Suns, but the team hasn’t contacted the Grand Canyon University coach, writes Richard Obert of AZCentral.com. That shouldn’t come as a surprise, according to Scott Bordow of The Arizona Republic, who tweets that the Suns haven’t contacted anyone, with Jay Triano expected to run the show for the rest of the season.
• Ken Berger of Bleacher Report takes a deep dive into the Suns’ situation and passes along a few interesting tidbits. Among them: James Jones, who joined the franchise this offseason as an executive, figures to have “significant input” when Phoenix decides on a permanent head coach.
• Former NBA big man Mehmet Okur, who was one of multiple assistants let go along with Watson, became the second member of the organization to direct a less-than-flattering social media post at the Suns this week. Chris Cole of AZCentral.com has the details, along with a screenshot of Okur’s since-deleted Instagram post.
• Speaking of assistants, the Suns have called up multiple coaches from their G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, to fill out their NBA coaching staff, per Chris Reichert of 2 Ways & 10 Days (Twitter link). Northern Arizona head coach Ty Ellis is among the coaches headed to Phoenix.

Bjorkgren is a former G League head coach and an original member of Watson’s staff. Okur, who played 10 years in the NBA, joined the Phoenix staff at the start of last season. Fraser had been with the team since 2015.

Tyrone Corbin will be promoted to lead assistant under interim coach Jay Triano. A former head coach with the Jazz and Kings, Corbin is in his second season on the Suns’ staff.

There’s more news this morning out of Phoenix:

• Watson had a tumultuous relationship with GM Ryan McDonough during his two and a half seasons as head coach, Wojanarowski writes in the same story. They clashed frequently over a variety of topics, and owner Robert Sarver ultimately sided with McDonough. Watson, who leaves with an 87-142 record, offered a farewell message to the team and his fans. “Thank you to my Suns family, the Phoenix community and everyone who has supported me through this journey,” he said. “Life has unpredictable pivots that I embrace humbly and with great purpose.”
• Suns star Eric Bledsoe received a lot of attention for Sunday’s tweet that read, “I don’t wanna be here,” but it wasn’t the first time he expressed a desire to get out of Phoenix, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). The eighth-year guard met with with management before the season started to tell them he wanted to be dealt. On top of the losing, Bledsoe was unhappy when the team decided to shut him down because of soreness in his knees last March.
• Bledsoe was excited about the possibility of being traded to Cleveland over the summer as part of a rumored deal for Kyrie Irving, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops. The teams were close to completing the trade and Bledsoe was “depressed” when it fell through, a source tells Amico.
• The Suns’ problems stem more from the roster McDonough put together than Watson’s coaching, writes Mitch Lawrence of Forbes. Phoenix is trying to compete with four rookies and four second-year players, including a 19-year-old in Dragan Bender and three 20-year-olds. Lawrence states that Bledsoe and fellow veteran Tyson Chandler aren’t pleased with the youth movement. He also notes that McDonough hasn’t been able to find a franchise player despite picking fourth twice, fifth and eighth in the past five drafts.
• Former Suns stars Steve Nash and Dan Majerle are among the potential replacements for Watson suggested by Jordan Greer of The Sporting News. Others are Adrian Griffin, Ime Udoka, Monty Williams, Sean Miller, Jerry Stackhouse, Mark Jackson and Brent Barry.

Okur spent 10 seasons in the NBA, with the Pistons, Jazz, and Nets, before announcing his retirement in 2012 at age 33. For his career, Okur averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 634 regular-season games. He spent six of his NBA seasons in Utah, playing alongside current Suns head coach Earl Watson near the end of his stint with the Jazz. Both Okur and Watson played for current Suns assistant Tyrone Corbin, who was Utah’s head coach at the time.

In Phoenix, Okur will get the opportunity to work with a group of young bigs that include Dragan Bender and Marquese Chriss, the fourth and eighth overall picks in this year’s draft.

In addition to hiring Okur, the Suns also announced that they’ve added Jason Hervey to their staff as an advance scout. Hervey previously worked in the Timberwolves’ scouting department and in the Pistons’ basketball operations department.

"I want to thank my family, my coaches, my teammates, the officials who have contributed to my career," Okur told NTVSpor, according to Sportando's translation. "And then I want to say thanks to the fans who always supported me."

Okur, 33, spent 10 seasons in the NBA, with the Pistons, Jazz, and Nets. He was also traded to the Trail Blazers last season, though that was just for salary purposes, and he didn't play a single game for Portland. For his career, Okur averaged 13.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG, compiling a 17.1 PER. According to Basketball-Reference, he earned upwards of about $73MM during his NBA career.

While Okur seems to be ending his playing career, it wouldn't be a shock to see him attempt a comeback at some point down the road. At just 33 years old, he still appeared to be drawing a little NBA interest this offseason, though not at the price he was seeking, which was more than the minimum.

• Andrew Wiggins' father tells Eric Prisbell of USA Today that he expects his son to reclassify and play college basketball next season (hat tip to RealGM.com). Wiggins would then be eligible to enter the 2014 NBA draft, where he's expected to be perhaps the No. 1 pick.
• Appearing on 98.7 FM in New York, Dwight Howard confirmed that he "really wanted" the Magic to trade him to the Nets last year. Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com has the details.
• The Sixers need a healthy Andrew Bynum over the long term, which means that in the short term, it's wise not to rush him back into action, says Marcus Hayes of the Philadelphia Daily News.
• A 7% stake in the Kings, held by bankrupt Sacramento developer Bob Cook, is expected to be auctioned off, reports Dale Kasler of the Sacramento Bee. It will be available to any of the team's current owners, including the Maloofs, or an outsider.
• Even though it was amnestied off the Magic's cap, Gilbert Arenas' contract still ranks at the top of Justin Verrier's ESPN.com list of the 10 worst contracts in the NBA.
• With the deadline for rookie-scale option decisions looming, Rob Mahoney of SI.com looks at five second-year players in need of a turnaround this season.
• In his daily mailbag for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, Ira Winderman explains why the Heat haven't been seriously linked to free agent big man Mehmet Okur.

Along with the players who have yet to sign a contract this offseason, plenty of recent camp cuts have become unrestricted free agents again, further saturating the market. While many of the names on our list of free agents likely won't play for NBA teams this year, odds are that at least a couple will sign with contenders and potentially have an impact later in the season.

So today's poll question is this: Which of the remaining free agents do you expect will make the most significant impact this season? Make your pick below and feel free to explain your choice in the comments section.

There's no question that any of these players could help an NBA team. None of them are stars or maybe even starters anymore, but they're solid role players that won't hurt you off the bench. So why are they still on the market? I don't have any inside info about their contract negotiations, but I'd guess it's because their asking prices remain too high. Here's what we've heard this offseason about the contracts these guys are after:

• Leandro Barbosa: Barbosa was looking for a multiyear contract earlier this summer, and his interest in the Cavs, who have a ton of cap space, suggested he didn't want to take a huge pay cut. It looks like he won't have much choice in the matter, but I'm not sure he's willing to settle for the minimum yet, or he'd already be signed.
• Kenyon Martin: We've heard multiple times this offseason that Martin is seeking more than the veteran's minimum. Most recently, Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Bayno said Martin's asking price is the reason his team isn't pursuing the former first overall pick.
• Mehmet Okur: The Timberwolves were linked frequently to Okur this offseason, but the team's inability to offer more than the minimum was a roadblock. It seems Okur's best shot at a bigger payday may come from a Turkish team.
• Mickael Pietrus: Agent Bill McCandless stated pretty unequivocally back in July that his client wouldn't be signing for the veteran's minimum. With Pietrus still unsigned, you have to wonder if recent reports of the former Celtic drawing heavy interest and possibly closing in on a deal were floated by McCandless to try to drum up last-minute interest from teams with some spending room.
• Tracy McGrady: There haven't been any reports this offseason explicitly suggesting that McGrady isn't interested in the veteran's minimum, but after a solid 2011/12 season in Atlanta, I would think there'd be plenty of teams interested in signing him at that price. The Knicks, for instance, are reportedly willing to take a flier on Rasheed Wallace, but are no longer interested in McGrady. It could just be a matter of Wallace being a better fit, but it wouldn't be surprising if T-Mac's asking price was still too high.

There are a number of other players on our list of free agents who could still be after more than the minimum — Derek Fisher, Michael Redd, and Josh Howard, to name a few. But it appears the five listed above are the best bets to force a team to dip into its cap space, mid-level exception, or bi-annual exception.

Still, we're at a point in the offseason where very few, if any, players are receiving more than minimum-salary offers. So if these free agents don't receive any NBA offers they like, perhaps they'll seriously consider signing overseas, an option that could appeal in particular to players like Barbosa, Okur, and Pietrus, who have international roots.

• Within Jackson's piece, the Herald scribe writes that a Heat official says the team was disappointed with Dexter Pittman's summer league play. Pittman is on a guaranteed contract and seems likely to remain on the roster, but nothing is assured yet. "This is a crucial training camp for him," said the team official. "But the slate is clear."
• Pittman will need to improve his rebounding and cut back on his fouls to stick with the Heat, says Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
• Asked whether the Heat can count on Mike Miller this season, Winderman notes that the club won't necessarily have to count on him for major production with Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis on board. Anything Miller provides will be a bonus, says Winderman.

• Nikola Mirotic tells Enric Corbella of Marca.com (English link via HoopsWorld) that the Bulls know his situation with Real Madrid and respect his contract. Mirotic, the 23rd overall pick in 2011, has a number of years left on his contract in Spain, but will have the opportunity to opt out and join the Bulls before it ends.
• Two players that received 10-day contracts in 2011/12 may be on the verge of leaving their French teams. Emiliano Carchia of Sportando passes along French reports suggesting that Gravelines may part ways with Larry Owens, and that Ben Uzoh's time with Cholet may be nearly over.
• Unicaja Malaga coach Jasmin Repesa said that his team would love to add Bojan Bogdanovic, who is under contract for two more years with Fenerbahce (link via Emiliano Carchia of Sportando). Bogdanovic was drafted with the 31st overall pick in 2011's draft, with his NBA rights now held by the Nets.

• The Nets plan to hold a free agent workout with forwards Josh Childress and Dominic McGuire early next week, sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo (via Twitter).
• SI.com's Zach Lowe believes that, on a minimum-salary contract, Blatche would be worth the gamble for either the Nets or Heat.
• While we've heard that Mehmet Okur will probably require more than a minimum-salary commitment, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel still thinks he could be a possibility for the Heat.
• Jerome Dyson is the latest player to audition at the Heat's pre-camp tryouts, reports Winderman (Sulia link).
• The Pistons' depth at small forward could mean that a trade is in the team's future, writes David Mayo of MLive.com.
• Former George Washington point guard Tony Taylor Jr. will work out with the Knicks for a second time next week, according to Keith Schlosser of KnicksJournal.com.
• Amare Stoudemire appeared on FOX Sports Radio to discuss a number of topics, including former Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni, Jeremy Lin, and the infamous fire extinguisher incident. Sports Radio Interviews rounds up a few of Stoudemire's noteworthy quotes.
• NBA.com's Sekou Smith takes a look at the Bobcats' future after the team set a record for futility in 2011/12.

While the Timberwolves could comfortably bring aboard a player on a minimum salary, many of the free agents they've been linked to are seeking larger deals. Whether this suggests Kahn is considering moving salary or that the club is hoping one of its targets eventually settles for the veteran's minimum is unclear. However, Joan Niesen of FOX Sports North tweets that Anthony Tolliver continues to check in with the T-Wolves as well, to see if the team can bring him back.

The Timberwolves used their cap space this summer to sign Andrei Kirilenko, Brandon Roy, and Alexey Shved, then used their $2.575MM room exception on Greg Stiemsma. Okur, meanwhile, is coming off a year in which he earned over $10MM, but only appeared in 17 games due to back issues  — if he were to sign for the veteran's minimum of $1,351,181, it would be his lowest salary since he earned $1.1MM in 2003/04.

• Though earlier reports seemed to indicate the Wolves weren't seeking to trade for a big man, Wolfson hears the team has asked Anthony Tolliver to be patient as the team seeks a trade to free up more cap room. Tolliver's agent has said his client is not interested in the minimum salary, which is all the Minnesota has to offer free agents. Even though Tolliver has been with the Wolves the past two seasons, the team renounced his Early Bird rights earlier in the summer to clear room for Nicolas Batum's offer sheet. Tolliver is reportedly in "constant contact" with a handful of teams, including the Wolves. 
• We heard yesterday that Andray Blatche and Hassan Whiteside worked out in front of a Wolves scout, and according to Wolfson, Blatche is "said to be open" to signing for the veteran's minimum. 
• Mehmet Okur is a "long shot" to sign with Minnesota, a source close to Okur tells Wolfson. The 6'11" outside marksman is seeking more than the minimum. 
• Wolfson reported last week that Josh Harrellson isn't in the Wolves' plans because the 6'10" former Knick doesn't possess the requisite length. Chris Andersen, who's the same height, apparently possesses a wingspan that fits what Kahn and company are looking for, but the Wolves aren't considering him, either.

• The Timberwolves wouldn't mind adding another big man, and are "kicking around" the idea of Mehmet Okur, tweets Darren Wolfson of ESPN 1500. As Wolfson notes, however, considering Minnesota only has the minimum salary to offer, Okur is an unlikely target for the team.
• If the Nuggets are able to lock up Ty Lawson and Andre Iguodala to long-term deals, it would ensure that a "thrilling nucleus" is in place in Denver, writes Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post.
• UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad tells HoopsWorld that he's not expecting to necessarily be a "one-and-done" player, but I'd be surprised if the top prospect doesn't enter the draft after his freshman season. Plus, as Yannis Koutroupis writes, given the NCAA's current investigation that's putting Muhammad's amateur status in jeopardy, the star recruit could be fortunate to play even one year at UCLA.
• Dwyane Wade tells Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel (Sulia link) that his recovery from knee surgery is on schedule and he expects to "turn it up more" in the next couple weeks.

• Gery Woelfel of the Journal Times checks in with four different scouts to get a better picture of how the top-10 picks of the NBA draft will unfold come June. While all four agreed Kentucky's Anthony Davis was the sure-fire top pick in the draft, the group was split between Davis' former teammate Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Kansas forward Thomas Robinson as the player most likely to be selected second. Among the surprise names listed as a potential top-10 pick included Duke freshman guard Austin Rivers, who is projected by most experts to hear his name called in the mid-teens.
• Newly-minted SMU head coach Larry Brown recently offered some unsolicited advice to Bobcats owner Michael Jordan about the way he runs his franchise in an interview with NBA.com. Brown said that while he enjoyed working for Jordan thanks to the former Bulls star having high expectations for his team, he was not happy with how Jordan surrounded himself with people too afraid to challenge him. The Bobcats have currently lost 19 consecutive games and need to win one more to avoid having the lowest winning percentage in NBA history.
• Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer ponders how the city of Cleveland will handle the Cavaliers struggling yet again next season if the team continues to follow the Oklahoma City model of rebuilding a roster through top-five selections in the draft.
• The Celtics and Bulls were reportedly among a group of playoff-bound teams who inquired about the availability of Mehmet Okur in hopes of strengthening their frontcourt, writes Marc Stein of ESPN.com. Okur, 32, started the season with the Nets before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Blazers along with Shawne Williams and a 2012 first-round draft pick (top-three protected) in exchange for swingman Gerald Wallace. The Blazers released Okur on March 21 due to the fact that the Turkish big man's back trouble would seemingly keep him out of action through June.

According to Wojnarowski, Ray Allen received a phone call from Celtics coach Doc Rivers, telling him he'd been traded to the Grizzlies for a package that included O.J. Mayo and a draft pick. However, shortly after the call, Allen received word that the deal had fallen apart.

The Celtics also had serious discussions with the Nets about a deal that would've sent Paul Pierce to New Jersey in exchange for Mehmet Okur and a lottery pick, says Wojnarowski. Grantland's Bill Simmons wrote of those talks last week, noting that the Nets eventually elected to acquire Gerald Wallace from Portland for a similar package (one which also included Shawne Williams).

While the Celtics have played their best basketball of the season since the deadline and are a popular choice to upset the Bulls or Heat in the Eastern playoffs, the team's failed trades are interesting to consider. Had they made those deals, Boston would be heading into the summer armed with three first-round picks and even more cap flexibility, without Pierce on next year's books. We'll see if the Celtics' Big Three has one more run left to reward GM Danny Ainge's deadline decision to stand pat.