The Phoenix Suns are on record in insisting they will pay rising, young guard Eric Bledsoe "whatever it takes to keep him" when he becomes a free agent this summer.
With the Suns off to a surprising 19-11 start, Bledsoe has led the way with averages of 18 points, four rebounds and six assists.
"Obviously we don't have a whole lot of money committed for the future," Suns GM Ryan McDonough told ProBasketballTalk.com. "We don't have a lot of long-term contracts on our books. So we'll have no problem stepping up and paying Eric whatever it takes to keep him."
McDonough later added "we have some advantages. We're able to give him another year, five instead of four if we choose. We're able to give him higher-percentage increases than other teams too. And then if another team does make an offer, we can always match that. So we feel like we're holding the cards with Eric, and more importantly, I think Eric's had a good experience here so far. He's played well and the team has played fairly well. I think he kind of likes what we're doing."
Young talents Markieff Morris, Miles Plumlee and Gerald Green have also figured into the Suns surprising start, becoming consistent reserve contributors for the first time in their respective careers.
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