Eric Bledsoe

[Arizona_Sting]

Without looking... I don't know who we could sign at the 4 spot? Aldridge would be perfect but I don't know his contract info at the moment.

I know Cousins and Favors are restricted FA's and Z-Bo has a player option. Pau Gasol is also a FA but he wouldn't be a good fit. Aldridge still has another year under contract. Not that many options at the 4 in next year's class.

 

[GMATCa]

Bledsoe will start

I really like this kid, he has talent. Do you think he will start with dragic or come off the bench?

The Suns didn't trade for Bledsoe so that he could continue coming off the bench, as he did for the Clippers. He and Dragic will start together, with Dragic defending the opposing shooting guard. Offensively, I think (or at least hope) that they can play interchangeably, especially if they're playing a fast-paced game and turning defense into offense very quickly.

 

[Desert Glory]

The Suns didn't trade for Bledsoe so that he could continue coming off the bench, as he did for the Clippers. He and Dragic will start together, with Dragic defending the opposing shooting guard. Offensively, I think (or at least hope) that they can play interchangeably, especially if they're playing a fast-paced game and turning defense into offense very quickly.

Yeah I think the whole "Dragic wanted to be a point guard" thing will be a non story. Lots of teams are running that kind of lineup now-a-days.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

The Suns didn't trade for Bledsoe so that he could continue coming off the bench, as he did for the Clippers. He and Dragic will start together, with Dragic defending the opposing shooting guard. Offensively, I think (or at least hope) that they can play interchangeably, especially if they're playing a fast-paced game and turning defense into offense very quickly.

Sweet, glad to see you made it here GMAT. I enjoyed your insight on the Suns forum over on ESPN.

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Damn, we have 15 people "viewing" the Suns forum? That's a lot right? lol

 

[ChrisperJ10]

Damn, we have 15 people "viewing" the Suns forum? That's a lot right? lol

Hell yeah! I was the only Suns fan on this site a couple weeks ago. Thank gawd you guys made it over here from Espn. Now I'm not the token Suns fan anymore.

 

[SpartyNash13]

The Suns didn't trade for Bledsoe so that he could continue coming off the bench, as he did for the Clippers. He and Dragic will start together, with Dragic defending the opposing shooting guard. Offensively, I think (or at least hope) that they can play interchangeably, especially if they're playing a fast-paced game and turning defense into offense very quickly.

Always love GMAT's posts, tons of solid info.

Also, I like how the Washington Generals are one of your top 3 favorite teams, hahaha

 

[mikesphxsuns]

i for one am ECSTATIC about this trade, we gave up a great guy and a good player in duds i absolutely hate to see him go, his off the court stuff kept the team very tight but i never saw him game as a starter, jes never saw it. the fact that we got two decent players in return for him is awesome! Bledsoe is finally gonna get the minutes that he needs and i like butlers game even tho hes old.

I personally dont think these moves are us tanking, now if it happens i wouldnt hate to have wiggins come over

 

[GMATCa]

Thanks, guys.

And let me add that part of what's positive about this trade is that even in the event that Bledsoe and Dragic fail to mesh, the Suns could eventually trade one of them for a player who fits better. So you experiment, and even if the experiment fizzles, the surplus grants you leverage and flexibility in terms of constructing a roster.

I'll go back to what happened with the Suns circa 1998. By then, Phoenix envisioned Jason Kidd and Steve Nash eventually starting together, in the same back-court, for years to come. Already, by the end of the 1998 season, Kidd and Nash had started ten games together, including the Suns' final playoff game that year.

With Nash entering the final season of his three-year rookie contract, after which he would become an unrestricted free agent (per the collective bargaining agreement that existed at that time), the Suns attempted to sign him to a contract extension, thus ensuring that both he and Kidd could remain in Phoenix for the foreseeable future. But although Kidd was one of Nash's two best friends on the team and the two could certainly play together, Nash refused to ink the extension because he wanted to be able to run his own team. In effect, he wanted a trade, and since the Suns did not want to lose Nash for nothing in a year's time, they exploited their leverage and surplus by trading Nash to Dallas for what figured to be a lucrative lottery pick in the following year's draft. That pick, the ninth overall selection in 1999, gave Phoenix its first lottery slot since 1988 and enabled the Suns to pluck Shawn Marion.

Potentially, if Bledsoe and Dragic fail to click on or off the court, Phoenix could use one of them in the same manner that they used Nash in 1998, as an asset to acquire a probable top-ten lottery pick (or a talented player who isn't a point guard). So really, there was no downside to trading for Bledsoe, as he can help the Suns one way or another. The key was just to improve a talent base that badly needed more speed, quickness, explosiveness, and athleticism.

By the way, for another analogy, the Lakers started two of the best point guards in the NBA simultaneously for four seasons from 1980-1983: Norm Nixon and Magic Johnson. With Nixon and Johnson in the back-court, Los Angeles reached three NBA Finals and won two championships. Then, on the eve of the '83-'84 season, the Lakers dealt Nixon to the Clippers for rookie shooting guard Byron Scott, the third overall pick in the 1983 draft. And with Magic and Scott in the back-court, the Lakers won three more championships in the decade.

So again, no matter what happens on the court, the Suns' options off the court are now much better. Indeed, just think about the difference in trade value between Goran Dragic or Eric Bledsoe on the one hand and Jared Dudley on the other. To place matters in terms of draft picks, Dragic or Bledsoe could net a mid-to-high first round pick, whereas the most that Dudley could have done would have been a low first round selection.

 

[UA_Stapler]

Bledsoe

Sarver

 

[Arizona_Sting]

The King James Has a Message For Suns Fans

 

[johnson]

Bledsoe is also potentially another backup caliber player that starts for the Suns because they are so bad. With the Clips, he was a backup and when Chris Paul was injured, the Clips did not perform well (by their standards) with Bledsoe starting.

I'd rather have Dudley than Butler (a lazy, aging Vet on the decline in a rebuild fiasco...no thx), but the eventual cap space I suppose makes it have a silver lining.

It's too bad that the management for the Suns is so misguided and pathetic because the Suns are the one team the city truly buys into and gets rabid about when they are even average.

 

[ChrisperJ10]

I understand you're saying what everyone already knows Johnson, but can you do us all a favor and stop being such a fucking debbie downer!

 

[Arizona_Sting]

Bledsoe is also potentially another backup caliber player that starts for the Suns because they are so bad. With the Clips, he was a backup and when Chris Paul was injured, the Clips did not perform well (by their standards) with Bledsoe starting.

I'd rather have Dudley than Butler (a lazy, aging Vet on the decline in a rebuild fiasco...no thx), but the eventual cap space I suppose makes it have a silver lining.

It's too bad that the management for the Suns is so misguided and pathetic because the Suns are the one team the city truly buys into and gets rabid about when they are even average.

I normally like your posts but you couldn't be more wrong here. Bledsoe has all the potential in the world to become a starting PG and maybe even a star... lots of scouts love his game and would love to see what he could do with his "own" team.

And yeah he backed up CHRIS PAUL. I don't know too many PG's that would start over him... of course the Clippers wouldn't fair as well without CP3 because last year he was practically their ENTIRE TEAM. Griffin and Jordan are both overrated.. all they do is dunk. CP3 was the main reason they were so good. And they didn't even drop off that much when he started, he put up very good numbers too in games he started. At this point I'd take Bledsoe over Dudley EASILY. It's all about getting younger and going after upside. Jared Dudley has no chance at becoming the "face" of this franchise. He's a good bench player at best. You think Dudley would start for a title contending team? If so you're crazy. Butler was just a throw in, but he could honestly produce just as much as Dudley next year. Plus he's gonna be a FA which will free up cap space for us. Lots of picks, cap space and young players. What you are seeing is the Suns FINALLY moving in the right direction. Why the hell are you complaining?

 

[JahiiCarson_SqodGeneral]

I normally like your posts but you couldn't be more wrong here. Bledsoe has all the potential in the world to become a starting PG and maybe even a star... lots of scouts love his game and would love to see what he could do with his "own" team.

And yeah he backed up CHRIS PAUL. I don't know too many PG's that would start over him... of course the Clippers wouldn't fair as well without CP3 because last year he was practically their ENTIRE TEAM. Griffin and Jordan are both overrated.. all they do is dunk. CP3 was the main reason they were so good. And they didn't even drop off that much when he started, he put up very good numbers too in games he started. At this point I'd take Bledsoe over Dudley EASILY. It's all about getting younger and going after upside. Jared Dudley has no chance at becoming the "face" of this franchise. He's a good bench player at best. You think Dudley would start for a title contending team? If so you're crazy. Butler was just a throw in, but he could honestly produce just as much as Dudley next year. Plus he's gonna be a FA which will free up cap space for us. Lots of picks, cap space and young players. What you are seeing is the Suns FINALLY moving in the right direction. Why the hell are you complaining?

Bledsoe is the next KJ. EBLED AND DRAG BOUT TO DO WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[johnson]

I was comparing Dudley with Butler. I agree with you if we compare Bledsoe with Dudley than I'd rather have Bledsoe.

Sorry guys, don't mean to be negative, but that's how I see it. I don't see this team going in the right direction at all. I see them having just botched a draft pick when picking from a position of advantage, spinning their wheels, and having a team that is arguably worse this year than they were last year (not the right direction in a good rebuild when last year they sucked).

Even if they get the top pick, I'm not going to celebrate when the same clown that picked Len will get to decide who to take in 2014.

 

[JahiiCarson_SqodGeneral]

I was comparing Dudley with Butler. I agree with you if we compare Bledsoe with Dudley than I'd rather have Bledsoe.

Sorry guys, don't mean to be negative, but that's how I see it. I don't see this team going in the right direction at all. I see them having just botched a draft pick when picking from a position of advantage, spinning their wheels, and having a team that is arguably worse this year than they were last year (not the right direction in a good rebuild when last year they sucked).

Even if they get the top pick, I'm not going to celebrate when the same clown that picked Len will get to decide who to take in 2014.

Lemme put it this way harden was a 6th man off the bench 3rd option. The Rockets saw his potential and took a chance for him to be a superstar he ended up being a superstar because of confidence and more opportunities the same thing could happen with Bledsoe this team is going in the right direction Goodwin could be very good and Dragic could be a huge trade piece for the future with the 3 picks that we got. When Bledsoe started he averaged 14ppg he is so young that the potential is there for him to be KJ like and Dragic can even squeeze out more potential we have good developing guards and 3 1st round picks with money to spend how are not moving in the right direction and we may suck but we will be like 2010-2011 clippers even though they sucked they were still exciting to watch because they were athletic the suns are moving in the right direction in 3 years you wish you kept your mouth shut.

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

We should not chose to tank to get Wiggins. Dwight Howard 2004 wast last guy to go to the worst team as draft 1. We could get him at any of the bottom spots. I say get Goran Bledsoe, Len working together and hope for the best. I love Wiggnins. He is the next Lebron, Durrant.

 

[FORKWDEVIL]

sorry I was typing fast... go to go to beddy bye.

 

[UA_Stapler]

Even if they get the top pick, I'm not going to celebrate when the same clown that picked Len will get to decide who to take in 2014.

Stop bringing up pertinent facts that reinforce our awful reality!!!

I choose to be blissfully ignorant and hope for the best (even though we are owned by the worst)!

#rigginforwiggins - Let's do it!