The former Hornets star transitions into a starting role alongside Dillon Brooks, bringing explosive athleticism and defensive potential to a high-stakes season under head coach Jordan Ott.
One of the few changes that the Phoenix Suns are heading into the 2026-27 season with is having forward Miles Bridges in the fold as a starting player.
Bridges spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Charlotte Hornets prior to making the move to Phoenix, and he now joins the Suns with much scrutiny following him.
Follow reasonable expectations for Bridges in the season ahead, as well as an area he can improve in - and a key storyline - below.
Reasonable Expectations for Bridges in 2026-27
Bridges is a very productive volume player, bringing career marks of 15.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, and 2.8 APG to the table.
While the Michigan State product is joining a deep team that features several ball-dominant players (including guard Jalen Green), there should be expectations that the 6'7" forward is able to adjust to whatever role the team needs him for.
The former 20-PPG scorer needs to leverage his athleticism to a higher degree, including in pressuring the rim at an improved rate. He needs to utilize his under-appreciated playmaking chops at a higher frequency. He must also buy into Jordan Ott's offensive system, which is rather different in comparison to anything he has been part of previously.
One Area Bridges Can Improve in
There's many areas that Bridges has the potential to smooth out, including defensively, as an attacker, and as a three-point shooter.
The focus is going to be on three-point marksmanship here.
Bridges has hovered between 31-35 percent from beyond the arc during his career, save for an outlier 40% season in 2020-21. It's unreasonable to expect the forward to shoot that level in 2026-27, but more open looks and a higher volume of shots being taken from the corner has a chance to reflect positively here.
Bridges' Fit Into Phoenix's Defense is Key
One of the biggest questions of Phoenix's offseason rests in how the team will adjust to changes in personnel, particularly on the defensive side of the ball.
Bridges' supreme athleticism and tendency to be more cerebral than given credit for gifts him an opportunity to be a valuable compliment to fellow forward Dillon Brooks, who could become one of the more physical wing duos in the NBA.
Expect Phoenix to boast an above-average defense once again, but much of this promise hinges on whether Bridges buys all the way in or not.
