Reasoning for Delay of Major Phoenix Suns Moves Revealed

The Phoenix Suns roster is soon to stand at the league-max number of 15, but there are two separate moves that are currently holding up the franchise from boasting an officially completed roster. 

Arizona Sports insider John Gambadoro provided insight as to why the pair of deals are being held up on Thursday morning - including the deal that is set to send Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets to Phoenix.

"The Miles Bridges trade and Luke Kennard signing are expected to be completed early next week. The initial trade with Charlotte, Minnesota and Brooklyn should be done this weekend. Phoenix can’t complete their transaction until that trade is completed. There is no risk of it falling apart, just timing."

There was previous speculation that the hold-up was due to a questionable medical report for either Grayson Allen or Bridges, although this isn't the case. The ultimate reason for pause is due to semantics that include bringing more teams into the trade to ensure that the deals are ultimately easier for the league office to process.

Bridges and Kennard will still be members of the Suns within the next few days, with both bringing intriguing positives to the table, as well as questions surrounding the sustainability of tearing down some of the defensive infrastructure that had previously been built for head coach Jordan Ott.

Bridges has averaged over 20 points per game in three seasons across his career, although he is an average three-point shooter and is notorious for bringing a low motor to the table on the defensive side of the ball. The trade for the athletic forward is certainly a high-risk, high-reward proposition, but the multi-year coveting of Bridges makes the process understandable. 

As for Kennard, the longtime sharpshooter had been the number one target for the Suns heading into free agency following trading Allen and Royce O'Neale to Charlotte. The Duke product shot nearly 48% from three-point range last season, and has frequently been tabbed as one of the best "pure shooters" of the era, although the volume is subdued. The hope is that Kennard will be able to somewhat fill the shoes that Allen leaves behind - the shooting, secondary playmaking, and a passable team defense effort.

Kennard and Bridges are both major swings for the front office, but there is a world in which each works out in a profoundly positive manner over the next season - one in which the Suns will be seeking to return to the playoffs in.

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Kevin Hicks is a contributing writer to SunsRoundtable. He can be reached on X @khicks_21.