ESPN’s Ford: Phoenix Suns are asking teams about point guards
Jun 23, 2014, 9:19 PM | Updated: 9:19 pm
If there is one position the Phoenix Suns would appear to be set at, it’s point guard.
The team’s two best players — Goran Dragic and Eric Bledsoe — are at that spot, and last season the duo formed a very dynamic backcourt.
A guest of Bickley and Marotta on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Monday, ESPN’s Chad Ford said that’s led to some intriguing conversations around the league.
“Who knows what to read into it, but they’ve been calling around asking teams about point guards,” he said.
As Ford notes, the contract status for both players seems to be, at the very least, something the team is concerned about.
“The only two things that you can read into that is either one, they’re going to explore trading Dragic, or two, they’re anxious about paying Bledsoe that much money despite the fact that he had a terrific season this year for Phoenix and they’re looking for other options now,” he said. “A lot of intrigue going on with Phoenix. There’s been a lot of general managers calling me and saying why is Phoenix looking for point guards.”
Dragic, 28, is coming off a season in which he averaged 20.3 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game. Named to the All-NBA Third Team, Dragic was also the NBA’s Most Improved Player after nearly guiding the team to the playoffs for the first time since 2010.
The 24-year-old Bledsoe, who was acquired from the L.A. Clippers before the season, emerged in his first season as a full-time starter with averages of 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game. Injuries to his knee and shin limited him to just 43 games, however, preventing him from truly breaking out and proving he deserves a maximum-level contract.
Phoenix has given no indication that it plans on breaking up the duo, but given that keeping it together is not entirely up to them, it’s possible the team is exploring all its options.
