The Phoenix Suns are facing tremendous risk as it continues its long standing battle between restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe on a new contract extension. If Bledsoe opts to sign the qualifying offer, the Suns won't be able to trade him without his permission, per league rules, for the entire 2014-15 season and this automatically sets him as an unrestricted free agent together with his dynamic back-court duo Goran Dragic in the free agency summer of 2015.
So what excactly is this risk that the Suns may be facing in the onset of Bledsoe signing the qualifying offer? Losing not only Bledsoe in free agency but Goran Dragic as well, according to ESPN's Marc Stein. He argued, "If Bledsoe elects to go the rare qualifying offer route, Phoenix would suddenly face the very real possibility of losing both of its two best assets without compensation in 2015 free agency. The Lakers, for example, are just one team league sources say would likely make a hard run at both of them, based on the premise that the Suns couldn't afford the cost of paying both at that point, theoretically making either Bledsoe or Dragic gettable. Sources say that Houston, furthermore, has Dragic on its list of potential targets next summer given how he's blossomed since leaving the Rockets for Phoenix in the free-agent summer of 2012."
The Los Angeles Lakers have always been interested with Bledsoe at the start of the free agency and where ready to offer him a contract this summer. They withdrew their plans, however, knowing that the Suns would match any offer sheet for him anyway. If Bledsoe becomes an unrestricted free agent then look for the Lakers to make a serious run at him.
Steve Nash, Jeremy Lin, and Carlos Boozer would be off the books at the end of the 2015 season which leaves the Lakers with roughly $20 million in cap space according to Mike Garcia of Lake Show Life. Bledsoe reportedly wants a max contract of five years, $80 million and the Lakers can easily give him that kind of security next summer. LA is also a big market for NBA stars and the Lakers are one of the biggest free agent destinations in the league that's why its not hard to see Bledsoe playing for the Purple and Gold next summer if he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Houston Rockets general manager Dary Morey, meanwhile, will continue to do everything in his power to add a third star to play alongside James Harden and Dwight Howard. Morey courted almost every big free agent name this summer including LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony and reportedly offered Dirk Nowitzki and Chris Bosh a max contract. He missed his chance at landing another star this summer but now he has his sites set on Dragic in next year's free agency.
Trisity Miller of FanSided also thinks that Dragic would be an ideal fit for the Rockets. Miller wrote, "Arguably a top-ten point guard, Dragic would be an excellent fit for the Rockets. He's a plus-defender who can play off-ball while Harden runs the offense or do it himself, and if need be, create his own shot within the offense. Outside of finding a stretch power forward to place alongside Dwight Howard, there may not be a better available fit for this team unless they can somehow land a star point guard."
So while the Suns are still thinking on whether or not they should grant Bledsoe the max contract that he wants, the Lakers and Rockets will just sit in the wings and patiently wait for their chance.
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