Report: When Eric Bledsoe requested trade, Suns told him they underperformed with him as starting PG

Suns general manager Ryan McDonough has been extremely harsh publicly to Eric Bledsoe.

The organization apparently wasn’t much kinder privately when Bledsoe requested a trade before the season.

Chris Haynes of ESPN:

The 27-year-old point guard had met with Suns owner Robert Sarver and McDonough during the preseason and requested a trade, sources told ESPN. Frustrated with the direction of the team, its whiffs in free agency and questionable personnel moves during his four years with the franchise, Bledsoe expressed that it was time he moved on, sources said. Bledsoe was then told by management, according to sources, that the team had underperformed ever since he was given starting point guard responsibilities.

The Suns have struggled since trading Goran Dragic to make Bledsoe the clear starting point guard, but they mainly got draft picks that have yet to convey for Dragic. They also traded Marcus Morris, Markieff Morris and Isaiah Thomas for primarily draft picks. Their expensive acquisitions – Brandon Knight, Tyson Chandler and Jared Dudley – have underwhelmed. Their young players, even Devin Booker, haven’t yet learned the nuances necessary to contribute to winning. They’ve finished seasons tanking.

In other words, Phoenix has given Bledsoe a supporting cast ill-equipped to win then apparently blamed him for not winning.

This report appears to be coming through the lens of Bledsoe’s camp. McDonough and Sarver might portray the conversation differently.

But if this is a glimpse of how Bledsoe feels, no wonder he wants out.