The Phoenix Suns are at a crossroad with their rising super star Eric Bledsoe. Contract negotiations skidded to a halt after Bledsoe and his agent called for a five-year max contract, worth about $85 million. The Suns were in tune with the five-years, but instead wanted to undercut Bledsoe's offer and give him a measly $48 million; almost a 50 percent downgrade from his original asking price.

As the two parties continue to pout in their separate corners, the Los Angeles Lakers have picked up on the scent and are circling Bledsoe from a far. Next season the Lakers could have as much as $30 million in cap space as the contracts of Jeremy Lin, Carlos Boozer and Steve Nash will be in question. This season will likely be a vetting process where the Lakers will decide which of these players is worth keeping.   

Currently Bledsoe and the Suns have three options; none of which looks good for Phoenix. The Suns could bend to Bledsoe's max deal demands, Bledsoe could sign a minimum qualifying offer from Phoenix and leave next year or the Suns could trade him. In each of these scenarios, Bledsoe is the one holding the power. As Minnesota witnessed from the Kevin Love scenario, it is better to trade away a star for something in return, rather than being stubborn and letting them walk away for free. 

There is no doubt that Bledsoe now wants out of Phoenix. The contract negotiations truly illustrate how far off the two parties are in their views of the player's worth. The Lakers understand that they will be Kobe Bryant-less in a couple of seasons. Preparations must be made for the franchise to move onto to the next big thing, which in this case appears to be Eric Bledsoe.    

To add to the feeding frenzy, Gorin Dragic will also be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. The Suns fully understand that they could lose their two best players all in one offseason. The pressure should be enough to force Phoenix into making a trade of some sorts that would at least give them some value in return.

The idea of starting anew with either Dragic or Bledsoe is a big step for Laker fans that are looking to the future. While the two players are not as hyped as some of the leagues superstars, both are extremely talented and capable of being apart of the rebuilding process.