Mikal Bridges and Suns agree to 4-year, $90 million extension
Oct 17, 2021, 12:05 PM | Updated: 1:12 pm
Mikal Bridges #25 of the Phoenix Suns takes a free-throw shot against the Milwaukee Bucks in game two of the NBA Finals at Phoenix Suns Arena on July 08, 2021 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Bucks 118-108. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
The Phoenix Suns have agreed to terms with forward Mikal Bridges on a four-year, $90 million contract extension, his agents told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski on Sunday.
The deal averaging $22.5 million per year is fully guaranteed. It kicks in after 2021-22.
Phoenix had until 3 p.m. Monday to extend Bridges beyond his rookie deal that ends after this season. The team has yet to come to terms with center Deandre Ayton, the No. 1 pick in the 2018 draft class.
Bridges appeared to be pleased with the deal, sending off a few tweets as the news became public.
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) October 17, 2021
We locked as always @RamsNFL pic.twitter.com/2UnTMoHygd
— Mikal Bridges (@mikal_bridges) October 17, 2021
Bridges, 24, is coming off a career-best 13.5 points per game, 54.3% shooting and 42.5% from three-point range.
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He started all 72 regular season games this past year and in three pro seasons has appeared in every game for Phoenix.
The Suns acquired the rights to Bridges in the 2018 NBA Draft after he was selected 10th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. Phoenix traded 16th overall pick Zhiare Smith and a 2021 first-round pick — both were acquired in the Suns’ 2015 Goran Dragic trade with the Miami Heat — to the Sixers on draft night to acquire Bridges.
Bridges has steadily improved over his three NBA seasons, becoming a knockdown shooter from deep in Year 3 while also developing a midrange game. He continued to develop a reputation as one of the league’s best young defenders, narrowly missing out a nod for Second Team All-Defense.
Bridges will make $5.6 million in the final year of his rookie contract in 2021-22. He would have become a restricted free agent next offseason had the parties not come to terms on an agreement before the start of the regular season in mid-October.
