Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic said he plans to opt out of his contract and re-sign with Phoenix as a free agent in July. With Dragic likely returning on a long-term deal, the Suns are more likely than ever to trade disgruntled guard Eric Bledsoe.
Dragic will opt out and become a free agent next summer, but he doesn't plan to stay on the market for long.
"Got a very interesting position with the club. Guess I'll break the contract and sign a new one," Dragic told Siol.net, as translated by Google. "As I spoke (to the Suns), I immediately during the first week, when the market opens, sign and there I can (be) calm."
The NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement allows Dragic to make the most money by re-signing with Phoenix as a free agent, hence his desire to opt out of the final year of his current contract and sign a more lucrative deal.
Dragic's numbers from last season - a career-high 20.9 points and 5.9 assists per game - will likely demand a sizeable pay day from Phoenix. While Dragic isn't expected to get a maximum deal, the Suns still won't have the cap space - or the need - to re-sign Bledsoe to the massive deal he purportedly wants.
Bledsoe, presently a restricted free agent, has yet to sign his qualifying offer from Phoenix and seemingly hopes the team either trades him or offers him a max-level contract.
Both sides are at a standstill. Bledsoe has until Oct. 1 to sign his qualifying offer, which would then make him an unrestricted free agent in July. If Bledsoe does sign the offer, which appears likely to happen, the Suns would essentially let him walk for free next summer.
With neither side likely to budge on a long-term deal, the Suns' best option is to find a sign-and-trade partner for Bledsoe. The problem, though, is teams won't give up anything close to Bledsoe's actual worth if they can get him as a free agent next year.
Phoenix has three options: 1) reach a long-term agreement with Bledsoe, 2) hope a team - such as the Los Angeles Lakers or the Milwaukee Bucks - wants to win now badly enough to fork over assets for him, or 3) take the risk, play out the season and see what happens next summer in free agency.
