Trade season has officially begun in the NBA and as the trade deadline approaches, the Phoenix Suns have emerged as a team looking to acquire another big piece for their star-studded cast.
Amidst the rumors, the Phoenix Suns have come up more than a few times as potential suitors for the Charlotte Hornets forward who currently is under contract for a one-year, qualifying offer worth 7.9 million, meaning It’s more than likely he will explore his options come this free agency.
That’s not the only controversy surrounding Miles Bridges. He didn’t play a single game the entire 2022-23 NBA season due to a felony domestic violence charge after allegedly assaulting his ex-wife. He is currently serving 3 years probation, 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, and 100 hours of community service.
Bridges was suspended for 30 games this year, but after sitting out the entirety of last year, he was credited 20 games served. Bridges has appeared in 33 games this year averaging 20.8ppg along with 7.2 rebounds which are both career highs for the young forward. He’s certainly shown no regression due to his suspension, but is he the right piece to put along the Suns star-studded lineup.
The Charlotte Hornets are in quite a predicament. They sit in the third to last spot in the Eastern Conference and have no hope of a playoff run. After dealing Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat for Kyle Lowry and a first-round pick, it appears the Hornets will be ‘Sellers’ at this year’s deadline. With Bridges on an expiring deal, it may turn out to be best for both parties to part ways at this year’s Trade Deadline.
What A Phoenix Suns-Charlotte Hornets Deal Would Look Like
The problem arises from the Phoenix Suns standpoint. The Hornets are currently seeking picks that the Suns don’t have much of.
The Suns traded 4 future first-round pick swaps along with 6 future second-round pick swaps for Bradley Beal last offseason. Phoenix also traded 4 future first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets to acquire superstar Kevin Durant. The Suns now sit in a position where they only have 5 second-round picks spanning from 2024-2029.
With Bridges under an expiring contract, it makes sense for him to seek a more independent star role that lines him up well for a lucrative deal next year. What does this mean for Phoenix exactly? If they were to make a trade for Bridges, it would merely be a rental piece to their line-up and they would be out of a few future picks as signing Bridges to an extension would be far too expensive for Phoenix to even consider.
Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel had this to say in regards to making potential moved this trade deadline:
“I love our group,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “I’m focused on the guys we have. I think we can win big with this group. I’ll let (Suns general manager) James Jones handle that.”
Bridges has even spoken up about a potential trade:
“It doesn’t really bother me,” Bridges said Friday. “I don’t pay attention to what people are saying. I’ve been criticized for the last year and a half now, so trade talk is the least of my worries. So I just go out there and try to play my best every game, bring it all out there on the floor and that’s all I worry about.”
While a trade between the Charlotte Hornets and Phoenix Suns isn’t certain, we’ll likely see Charlotte make more moves come this trade deadline, Feb. 8th.
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