NBA trade deadline tracker: Suns and other teams are without Miles Bridges
Even though the Phoenix Suns have little assets available at the 2024 NBA trade deadline, Miles Bridges has been connected to the team. Although that seems to have been ruled out to start the day, as the roster solidifies around the Big Three, there are still better and more reasonable bargains to be had.
Before I continue rambling on about the NBA in general as Thursday approaches the 1 p.m. MST deadline, let’s begin our live blog with some observations on the trade that appears to be off the table.
Based on reports from Shams Charania of The Athletic, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, and our own John Gambadoro, most deals—but not all of them—will be featured here.
According to reports, the Suns select continuity and sign Royce O’Neale and David Roddy.
The Suns are reported to have acquired Royce O’Neale of the Nets and David Roddy of the Grizzlies by dealing second-round picks, swaps, and the quartet of Keita Bates-Diop, Yuta Watanabe, Jordan Goodwin, and Chimezie Metu. I’ll let our Suns player Kellan Olson stew in the details of this deadline until it’s all over.
Essentially, what matters is that they addressed my query: Is it possible for Mat Ishbia to establish a consistent storyline within this short timeframe for a season or two?
They can pay a hefty price to keep O’Neale if
At Ishbia’s expense, they will have long-term contracts and the ability to increase consistency around the Big Three.
O’Neale, who has experience with Devin Booker, is a three-and-D player, and Roddy is another developing wing who the Suns can acquire. In two NBA seasons, he hasn’t scored as much as he did when he left Colorado State, but the 6-foot-4, 255-pound wing didn’t have a conventional frame or stretch floor game either.
Miles Bridges will remain a Hornet and not join the Suns or any other team at the NBA trade deadline.
Bridges will remain with the Charlotte Hornets, as verified by Marc Stein and initially reported by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Rich Paul, his agent, informed Charlotte of this. Bridges may reject deals abroad while he is on a qualifying offer.
Would you like an analysis? If the Suns were sincere about obtaining the versatile wing, they truly escaped a PR disaster here. In connection with a domestic abuse case, Bridges is accused of violating parole twice.
All of it adds up to his having had more than one chance. When the person traveled to Toronto earlier this year to play the Toronto Raptors, he was not authorized to enter Canada.
Due to legal issues, he was unable to accept the $7.9 million qualifying offer this year. Under that contract, Bridges’ Bird rights would not extend after the trade to Phoenix, preventing him from being re-signed past this year. The Suns would not have been able to invest in his play without salary space, so they could only have offered him a little increase.
For what it is worth, his play is good. This season, Bridges has averaged 21.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.
He was shooting 37% from three and 46% overall at a good pace.
Notably, 6-foot-7 Bridges, who is only 25 years old, fits the description of a versatile big wing who can move the ball. Bridges is a Michigan State Spartan, exactly like Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
There’s a compelling case that it would have significantly improved this squad. And beyond that, was it really worth risking even two second-round picks and players to match compensation in order to further jeopardize long-term prospects?
Remaining in Charlotte gave Bridges the opportunity to be an unrestricted free agent with Bird rights maintained; if he allays the Hornets’ ethical and legal concerns, the team may be able to offer him a large contract.
Phoenix must move on in light of the news. If the Suns are going to forfeit a number of selections or players, one would assume that they would want to do so for a rotational piece that is certain to be acquired with either a multi-year contract or Bird rights, which would at least allow them to retain the player after this season.
Even if we ignore the extremely troubling past, Bridges wasn’t that.
The Raptors trade Thad Young and Dennis Schroder to Spencer Dinwiddie.
In exchange for Spencer Dinwiddie, the Toronto Raptors sent Dennis Schroder, a multi-year contract, and veteran forward Thaddeus Young’s expiring contract to the Brooklyn Nets.
