Suns roster churn was inevitable, but it’s hard to cheer for Miles Bridges

You knew the quiet couldn’t last. The idea of the Suns buying time and running it back with a 45-win basketball team seemed a little too patient and a little too cautious for owner Mat Ishbia.

That fallacy ended on Sunday.

In a polarizing maneuver, the Suns acquired Miles Bridges, who once pleaded no contest to a 2022 felony domestic violence charge against his ex-girlfriend. Another incident and more allegations of menacing behavior were detailed in a criminal summons issued in October 2023, when Bridges broke conditions of a protective order by allegedly throwing pool balls at her vehicle while their children were inside the car. Those charges were later dropped.

Only a year ago, Ishbia promised a team you would champion, a team you would cheer for regardless of outcome. Alas, it’s hard to cheer for Miles Bridges.

Bridges does give the Suns some missing ingredients.

He is a power forward with range and elite athleticism. He can create his own shot and thrill crowds with highlight-reel dunks. He can take gravity away from Devin Booker, which is very important for the team’s short-term success.

But he’s not much taller than Royce O’Neale, whom the Suns traded along with sharpshooter Grayson Allen and an unprotected first-round draft pick in 2033. His defense leaves much to be desired. And clearly the Hornets had no intention of extending Bridges’ expiring contract.

The Suns feel otherwise, and the acquisition invites more scrutiny.

Does Bridges really fit the high-character profile the team emphasized following the firing of Mike Budenholzer and the trade of Kevin Durant? Or do Bridges’ Michigan State ties trump all? Are they proof of character inside the new regime? General manager Brian Gregory was a special adviser to MSU head coach Tom Izzo in 2016, the first of two years Bridges spent in East Lansing, Michigan.

To be clear and to be fair, Bridges apologized for his previous actions in July 2023 and has been on good behavior ever since then.

Local reactions are all over the map. Some fans are excited. Some hope a trade of Jalen Green is not far behind, giving the Suns a completely refurbished team that might balance the roster and heighten the ceiling.

Either way, the Suns would be wise to wait a bit before giving more years and more money to their shiny new acquisition.

They already traded away the right Bridges. They don’t want the civic wrath of acquiring the wrong one at the wrong time.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app. You can also watch the show live on the Arizona Sports YouTube channel.

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