Suns May Eventually Regret Blockbuster Trade

A firestorm of controversy has embroiled the Phoenix Suns over the last three weeks, with the lukewarm (at best) discourse being driven by the decision to trade for embattled forward Miles Bridges in a deal that the Suns sent out a pair of fan favorites in Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale in the process. 

Proponents of the trade will argue that Bridges brings an athletic edge that the Suns desperately needed, but the questions that surround the trade far outweigh the potential benefits on paper. 

Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report reinforced those beliefs this week, going as far as stating that the Suns' trade is one of five offseason moves that are sure to backfire in the long run.

Right off the bat, Hughes opted to target the current conundrum Phoenix finds themselves in after parting with two of the stronger volume three-point shooters in the NBA - then got into dismantling the narrative that Bridges will drastically improve Phoenix's rim pressure and athletic prowess.

"A player heavily dependent on athleticism, Bridges could be in for decline as he enters his age-28 season. Actually, slippage may already be underway, as the percentage of his field-goal attempts at the rim has declined for five straight years.

Bridges is a fringe starter who could sign a hefty extension while potentially constricting an offense that needs its space."

While there is reason to believe that Bridges will be in a more natural position to excel defensively compared to when he was a member of the Charlotte Hornets, he has never been a marked positive on that end of the floor, while he has seldom been a volume scorer that does so on above-average efficiency - even with LaMelo Ball as the offense's table-setter.

Beyond the on/off-court concerns is the immediate assumption that Brian Gregory and Mat Ishbia will commit to signing Bridges to an extension prior to the ramp-up for the season in late September. Trading away a coveted draft asset and two battle-tested veterans to haul in a player that was hardly a positive - even during Charlotte's blistering run over the second half of 2025-26 - is a curious choice at the very least. 

While firm conclusions can't be made until games are actually played, the prognosis isn't exactly promising at the moment - unless Bridges transforms into an above-average shooter that can carve out a versatile role in a Phoenix offense that needs more creation in the season to come.

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