Jerry Colangelo opines (sort of) on impasse between Phoenix Suns and Eric Bledsoe

It’s been two-and-a-half months since the NBA’s free agency period began.

Yet, there is no change in the Eric Bledsoe/Phoenix Suns saga.

The restricted free agent point guard hasn’t signed a contract extension with Phoenix. He hasn’t received an offer sheet from another team. Nor has he opted to sign a one-year qualifying offer which would allow him to play this year with the Suns before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer.

As has been widely reported, the Suns did offer Bledsoe a four-year contract worth $48 million. Bledsoe’s camp, headed by agent Rich Paul, wants a max deal worth north of $80 million over five years.

Thus, the stalemate all sides currently find themselves in.

Jerry Colangelo has a wealth of experience in the NBA as a general manager, coach and owner. He’s dealt with many contract squabbles during his illustrious career and has some general thoughts about the impasse between Bledsoe and the Suns.

“I feel this way about athletes: They’re entitled to get what they can get, but you would like to see some equity involved where they’ve earned it. That’s one thing,” Colangelo told Bickley and Marotta Tuesday on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM. “When people want to be paid in advance for what they might do or contribute, that’s a whole other thing.”

Bledsoe spent three seasons as Chris Paul’s understudy with the Los Angeles Clippers before being acquired in a trade in the summer of 2013. In his first year in Phoenix, Bledsoe performed admirably — when he was healthy enough to play. The 6-foot-1 guard missed 39 games with shin and knee injuries, but averaged 17.7 points and 5.5 assists per game.

Many around the league think Phoenix general manager Ryan McDonough’s offer was more than fair and owner Robert Sarver has gone on record to say that the Suns are not trying to low-ball Bledsoe.

“Let’s take Bledsoe out of the equation, because it will be too direct on him, but when a player has been a backup and has played half a season, there’s some real limits as to what value there is…presently,” Colangelo said. “Unfortunately, the way players are paid, much of it is on the come, one way or the other, and it puts teams in a bad situation.

“Hopefully, it will work out for all parties involved.”

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