The relationship between Eric Bledsoe and the Phoenix Suns’ front office has rapidly deteriorated, and general manager Ryan McDonough seems to think Bledsoe’s agent is largely responsible for that.
In an interview on Arizona Sports Radio 98.7 Tuesday, McDonough said he believes the situation with Bledsoe wanting out of Phoenix has reached a head because the star point guard has been given “bad advice.” It’s safe to assume McDonough was referring to Bledsoe’s agent, Rich Paul.
“I was certainly surprised by it and disappointed by it,” McDonough said, as transcribed by Chris Haynes of ESPN.com. “I think Eric’s a good person. I think he’s unfortunately gotten some bad advice and is listening to the wrong people. I think generally, any time you sign a contract, it doesn’t only work one way. It works both ways, and for a guy with years on his contract to say or intimate he didn’t want to be here anymore, I didn’t find that to be appropriate, and I think if he says he wants to be a leader, that’s the opposite of what a leader does and the opposite of what leadership is. So I think that’s all I’m going to say about that.”
Bledsoe’s contract with the Suns doesn’t expire until after next season, and he reportedly told the team during the offseason that he does not want to be part of a rebuilding project. He decided to turn up the heat on his bosses recently when he sent a cryptic tweet.
“I think, just my opinion, the shift comes from contractual demands made by his representatives, and that’s what I was referring to when I said I think he got bad advice,” McDonough said. “[Eric’s] a talented player and a good player, but like I said, I think he’s just being a little bit misguided at the moment with some of the advice he’s getting.”
The excuse Bledsoe gave for sending his now-infamous tweet seemed pretty ridiculous, and you can understand why McDonough feels the situation is being handled poorly. Even if teams are interested in acquiring Bledsoe, they have no reason to offer much for the 27-year-old. Bledsoe has essentially backed the Suns into a corner.
