Disgruntled Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe has found a taker for his maximum contract demands. The Minnesota Timberwolves have declared themselves willing to offer him a max deal-the problem is they cannot afford it.
The Wolves would need to work out a sign-and-trade with the Suns to acquire Bledsoe, but according to reports, the Suns aren't having it. Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting the Suns want back All-Star caliber talent if they are to deal Bledsoe, and the Wolves no longer have what it takes.
Earlier this offseason the Suns made a last-ditch effort to trade for Kevin Love and dangled Bledsoe as a carrot, but the Wolves instead sent him to Cleveland for a hefty package that included 2014 No. 1 overall pick Andrew Wiggins.
Now, the Wolves' most attractive trade piece is Wiggins, and he can't be dealt in a trade involving other players until late October though. Ricky Rubio makes little sense for Phoenix, which has plenty of depth behind Bledsoe, and center Nikola Pekovic doesn't fit the Suns' run-and-gun style.
Last season in 43 games Bledsoe averaged 17.7 points, 5.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds and registered a 19.6 PER. Rubio posted a 15.4 PER, largely because of his dreadful 38 percent mark from the field. Pekovic's PER stood at 20.7, but defensively he struggles with rim protection.
Aside from not having an All-Star in place to deal for Bledsoe, the Wolves would also need Phoenix to assume some bad contracts, which just about nixes any possibility of a sign-and-trade. As of now, the Wolves are the only team that has expressed interest in giving him the max.
The Boston Celtics continue to be an interesting destination, with Rajon Rondo fitting the All-Star criteria Phoenix has set, but at this point in time trading Rondo doesn't appear to be in Boston's plans.
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