A smiling Eric Bledsoe wanted to set the record straight after being traded to the Bucks from the Suns on Tuesday.
The University of Kentucky alum did more than just reach followers when he wrote “I don’t wanna be here” on Twitter roughly two weeks ago. He was traded with the immediate speculation being that Bledsoe was referring to Phoenix.
Suns general manager Ryan McDonough told reporters that when he asked his point guard for the meaning behind the tweet, Bledsoe claimed it was about a hair salon. That response didn’t go over to well as McDonough went on to say, “I don’t believe that to be true … He won’t be with us going forward.”
Bledsoe’s first public reaction to the trade was posted in a video for the Uninterrupted on Tuesday, and he begins with, “I just want to start by saying I’ve never been a liar.”
“I’m extremely excited to be a Milwaukee Buck.” — @EBled2 pic.twitter.com/DofZIa1Jkr
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) November 7, 2017
Bledsoe went on to thank Phoenix for the memories and Milwaukee for the opportunity.
“I just want to start by saying I’ve never been a liar, and I want to thank the city of Phoenix, the amazing fans, my teammates, the training staff, basketball operations, who all made my four years here for me and my family, a great time. But on the other hand, I’m extremely excited to be a Milwaukee Buck.”
While Bledsoe may have been referring to a hair salon (one may never know), he told ESPN’s Chris Haynes on Tuesday that he requested a trade to McDonough in the preseason after noticing a change in the team’s direction.
“I felt like with where the team was headed, it was time for me to move on,” he said. “They’ve got an amazing, young, talented team and I feel like it was time for me to find a better situation for my career. It had nothing to do with anything the Suns had going on. I made the decision that this was best for me.
“I felt like it was time [to leave], especially when they sat me down last year,” Bledsoe acknowledged. “It gave me a better picture, a more clearer picture of what I needed to do.”
…
“The situation is over with. What’s done is done. I can’t wait to join the Bucks, but I’m not a liar.”
