Rehab, team bonding all part of ‘a pretty good summer’ for Phoenix Suns PG Eric Bledsoe

PHOENIX — The grin on Eric Bledsoe’s face can’t get much wider.

Whether talking about his rehab or addressing the seemingly never-ending speculation on his future in the Valley, the Phoenix Suns’ sixth-year point guard is all smiles.

By the way, the former is “going great” and the latter is not anything Bledsoe concerns himself with.

“It’s an exciting part of the year, that’s all I can say,” he said Thursday, in between signing autographs and handing out awards at the Suns annual summer basketball camp at Thunderbird High School. “Trades, rumors I’m going to be traded, nobody ever knows until it happens. It’s an exciting part of the year.”

Bledsoe’s sole basketball focus these days is his health.

Almost six months removed from left knee surgery, Bledsoe is attacking his rehab with daily workouts, both in the weight room and on the court, where coaches put him through dribbling and shooting drills. Running will wait until later.

“Just taking it slow,” he said. “It’s a long summer. There’s no need to rush anything. It’s going to be a long season, so I’m just right now gradually working my way up so I can prepare my body.”

That preparation takes Bledsoe away from Talking Stick Resort Arena at times for conditioning not only the body, but the mind as well.

“I’ve been doing a lot of yoga,” he said. It helps. It definitely helps. It relaxes everything. It’s unbelievable.”

Bledsoe added boxing to his schedule as well to help with his endurance.

“It’s been a pretty good summer for me,” he said.

The goal, according to Bledsoe, is to be full-speed by training camp, if not before.

“I think I might be out there,” he said, referring to informal pickup games in September. “I’m looking forward to it; playing with the guys and building that bond again going forward.”

Bledsoe lost that bond with teammates when he hurt his knee Dec. 26 against Philadelphia. Surgery would follow to repair a torn meniscus, costing him the balance of the regular season.

Already bonding with teammates has included hiking Piestewa Peak and spinning class, or indoor cycling.

Later this month, Suns players will gather in San Diego for a few days.

“We’re going there and have a little team bonding. Work on some drills and stuff but for the most part bonding as a team,” said Bledsoe, who mentioned the beach and paint ball as activities away from basketball.

At the end of last season, center Tyson Chandler had talked about hosting the team over the summer, which may still happen, but San Diego is Bledsoe’s idea.

“Tyson does a great job of leading us, but I’m the point guard of the team. I got to try to get everybody on the same page,” he said.

For Bledsoe, the time he and his teammates spend together is just as important as the work they do on their game individually.

“We’re going to need everybody for us to take that next step,” he said. “(The off-the-court bonding) is a big key. I think that’s probably 50 percent of the battle is everybody having each other’s back on the court.”

Prior to the injury, Bledsoe was enjoying a career season.

He averaged career-highs of 20.4 points and 2.0 steals, tied a career-high by averaging 6.1 assists and averaged 4.0 rebounds in 34.2 minutes, starting all 31 games in which he played.

The question becomes whether Bledsoe, 26, can reach that level once again.

Three times now he’s suffered a significant knee injury, the left operated on after two surgical procedures on his right in 2011 and 2014.

Bledsoe, though, is not worried.

“Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I’m smiling so it’s not too bad. It could be worse. I could not be able to play next season. It could be 10 times worse than a knee injury, another one. Right now, I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about moving forward.”

And again, that’s with the Suns.

Bledsoe’s visit at the team’s annual basketball camp was more than just a token appearance. He had covered a portion of the cost for 20 campers, showing his commitment to the Suns and perhaps more importantly the community.

“Yes, I do. I expect to (be a Suns player for a long time), and that’s it,” he said.

Follow @CraigAZSports