Suns Make A Late Push For Kevin Love

With just hours to go before the planned mega deal that would send Kevin Love to Cleveland, the Phoenix Suns reached out to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday to ask once more about the possibility of acquiring Love in a sign-and-trade for guard Eric Bledsoe, sources told ESPN.com.

The Cavaliers and Love have had plans in place for weeks now, and the trade has morphed into a three-way deal with the Philadelphia 76ers that will send Thaddeus Young to Minnesota, is expected to be completed on Saturday.

As you know, the Suns and Eric Bledsoe have been on an roller coaster for months trying to satisfy the restricted free agent. And the team is now vetting all options. That includes other sign-and-trade talks with other teams besides the Wolves.

Eric Bledsoe has made it clear he is seeking a five-year, $85 million maximum contract from the Suns. He would only consider a max deal in a sign-and-trade, which would be four years and $64 million, with any other team, sources said.

If Bledsoe does not get a max deal this summer, he intends to sign the Suns’ one-year qualifying offer for $3.7 million and become an unrestricted free agent next year.

The Phoenix Suns have offered Bledsoe a four-year, $48 million deal that is similar to the contract point guard Kyle Lowry signed with the Toronto Raptors this summer. Bledsoe rejected that offer and both sides haven’t made any progress in talks for weeks.

Eric Bledsoe is definitely not going to make this (any) deal an easy one.

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