Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe has been a staple of the franchise since he was traded there in 2013. That time, however, may be coming to an abrupt end. With the news that Cleveland Cavaliers’ point guard Kyrie Irving has requested a trade, the Suns have jettisoned themselves on the list of interested teams. The price for Irving is understandably steep, with Bledsoe’s name coming up in trade talks. Phoenix has seemingly shopped the former Kentucky Wildcat for years, but this time feels more plausible. Then comes the question of if he wants to stay with the Suns, or welcome a change of scenery.
In an interview with Arizona Central Sports, Bledsoe says winning is the ultimate goal. “I love everything about it (Phoenix). At the same time, I want to win,” Bledsoe tells azcentral.com. Bledsoe also reiterated that he was upset when the Suns shut him down for the final 14 games of last season. “The front office made a decision and I had to live with it,” Bledsoe said. “I wasn’t OK with it, and I don’t know what basketball player would be. I want to compete. We weren’t winning but I still wanted to play with my teammates. But I couldn’t do anything about it.”
Eric Bledsoe was having the best season of his career before being shut down. His averages of 21.1 points and 6.3 assists last seasons were career high marks. He avoided the injury bug too, playing in 66 games before being a healthy scratch the rest of the way. Suns GM Ryan McDonough somewhat unsurprisingly left Bledsoe’s name off a list of what he deemed the team’s nucleus, perhaps a sign that the writing is on the wall.
