Talk about cashing out
Holding out the entire Summer and threatening to sign the 1-year qualifier and walk away for nothing paid off for Eric Bledsoe. The Phoenix Suns just inked the standout guard to a 5-year, $70 million deal today, finally ending the stalemate between the two sides. Bledsoe previously turned down the Suns initial 4-year offer earlier this year, because he felt he deserved more money. Now he got it.
The deal automatically gives the Suns one of the deepest backcourts in the league, with a tandem of Goran Dragic, newly signed Isaiah Thomas and rookie Tyler Ennis. Bledsoe’s defensive presence, plus Dragic’s leadership and playmaking ability, plus Thomas coming off the bench might be quite dangerous for teams going into 2014-2015.
There are two questions going into next season, though. Can Bledsoe stay healthy? And will the Suns have enough money to sign Dragic for max money?
With the Western Conference as tough as it is, the Suns now have to focus on keeping Dragic a part of the organization, something that just got a little harder with this new deal. Dragic has a player option at the end of the season and it’s still unclear whether or not he’ll take it and set himself up for free agency, in what looks like the last real payday of his career.
If the Suns can manage to keep both, the future will be looking bright.
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