Hornets Deal Another Big Name, Send Star Miles Bridges To Suns

Days after sending star guard LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Charlotte Hornets are sending another star player out, this time to the Phoenix Suns, embracing a full-on rebuild in Charlotte. 

Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Hornets sent forward Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round selection and a 2027 second-round selection to Phoenix in exchange for a Suns 2033 first-rounder and two veteran rotational players: guard Grayson Allen and forward Royce O’Neale. 

For more on what the acquisition means for Phoenix, Suns Roundtable writer Anthony Pasciolla has an in-depth look at the trade. 

Bridges averaged 17.1 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per contest during the 2025-26 season. He departs from Charlotte, leaving yet another sizeable gap in the roster this offseason. 

Although, young players like Kon Knueppel and Brandon Miller give the team a foundation around which to rebuild. Forward Naz Reid, who was acquired in the trade that sent Ball to Minnesota, now has a clear path to the starting lineup in Charlotte as well. 

Charlotte is now carving a new path forward, off-loading previous investments to make way for new and young talent instead. That includes two first-round investments in the 2026 NBA Draft, Washington’s Hannes Steinbach (No. 14 overall) and Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson Jr. (No. 18 overall).

While the active dealing of star names may seem like a surprise, the Hornets have clearly decided that this is their best path forward. In pursuit of long-term success, Charlotte is pivoting from the corps that yielded only one 30-plus win season in the last four years