Skip to content

Report: Suns not interested in sign-and-trading Bledsoe to Timberwolves

Well, the idea of Eric Bledsoe being freed from restricted free agent purgatory was fun while it lasted.

On Friday, reports surfaced that the Minnesota Timberwolves were willing to give Bledsoe a maximum contract of four-years and $63 million, but such an offer would have required the Phoenix Suns to agree to sign-and-trade Bledsoe there, as the Wolves don't have the requisite cap space to make such an offer.

The Suns, apparently, aren't willing to play ball.

From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:

The Phoenix Suns have no interest in sign-and-trade discussions with the Minnesota Timberwolves involving restricted free-agent guard Eric Bledsoe, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

The Suns would want an All-Star – or potential All-Star – in return for Bledsoe.

Wojnarowski also indicated that the Wolves' offer would have been contingent on being able to unload some other salary to Phoenix, which obviously complicates matters. It's unclear what kind of package the Wolves could have offered that would have enticed Phoenix to take on salary and give up a promising young player.

Instead, the Suns are said to be willing to let Bledsoe play out the season on a one-year, $3.7 million qualifying offer. Such a move would make Bledsoe an unrestricted free agent next summer and give him a de facto no-trade clause during the season, meaning the Suns could lose him for nothing at that point. They would still have an advantage in signing him, however.

There has still been little contact between the Suns and Bledsoe, and any deal other than the qualifying offer seems unlikely.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox