Miles Bridges trade grades slam Phoenix Suns for 'shortsighted' deal
· Yahoo Sports
Who won the blockbuster NBA trade between the Phoenix Suns and Charlotte Hornets?
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The answer, at least in early NBA trade grades for the deal, is clear.
Some NBA writers slammed the move for Phoenix in their Miles Bridges trade grades, with one writer even handing the team an F for the trade, which sent Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Suns in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and a 2033 first-round pick.
One NBA writer called the move for Phoenix 'incredibly shortsighted." Another questioned the "monumental" risk the team was making with the trade.
Check out the NBA trade grades for the Suns and Hornets for the deal involving Miles Bridges.
CBS Sports: Suns earn a D for Miles Bridges trade; Hornets land an A
Sam Quinn writes: "The Suns are coming off a feel-good season fueled by defense and effort. It's easier to sustain those things in the first year following the misery of the 2024-25 campaign in which the team effectively imploded with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal headed for exits. With lottery reform killing tanking, Phoenix is not going to be able to try-hard their way into nearly as many regular-season wins, and this deal does nothing to raise their playoff ceiling against opponents like the Thunder team that decimated them in the first round. The reward here was minimal, and the risk was monumental."
For The Win: Suns receive a C in Miles Bridges trade; Hornets get a B+
Prince J. Grines writes: "The problem is they sacrificed depth for a player whose production wasn't much better than Allen's, and who doesn't shoot the three as well as either player they shipped out. As long as they're still trying to win around Devin Booker, it's questionable how much this trade helps in the interim."
Fansided: Suns land an F for trade for Miles Bridges; Hornets earn an A+
Christopher Kline writes: "The shot selection and defensive integrity of Miles Bridges and Jalen Green lineups scares me. Also, trading an unprotected 2033 first-round pick as a team with no clear direction is absurd. Bridges is a replacement-level forward most nights and he is, again, on an expiring contract. An extension probably veers immediately into bad money. Without an extension, the Suns are sacrificing the future for minor cap relief and a year of completely unspecial production. What are we doing here, folks? Phoenix's front office has handled the post-KD transition about as well as one could expect, but this reads as incredibly shortsighted."
Clutch Points: Suns take a B+ for Miles Bridges trade; Hornets receive an A
Hayden Cilley writes: "Landing Bridges was a quality move, but it was giving up two of the most consistent players on the roster that was tough. In addition, losing out on the 2033 first-round pick could have serious implications if the Suns enter a full rebuild. There aren't any protections on the pick, meaning that hypothetically, Phoenix lands the No. 1 pick, which belongs to Charlotte. Ducking the luxury tax, opening up a roster spot, and acquiring Bridges were great, but what they gave up makes this grade lower than it could be."
Sports Illustrated: Suns get a C- in Miles Bridges trade; Hornets land a B
Liam McKeone writes: "Swapping Allen and O’Neale for Bridges is an entirely defensible move for a team looking to switch up the roster without many avenues to dramatically do so. Throwing in the ‘33 pick makes it a bad move. Getting the ‘29 pick back (with whatever protections) doesn’t make up for that. Neither do the tax savings Phoenix will receive by getting off the Allen and O’Neale contracts. The Suns keep operating like the future will never come by trading away all these draft picks down the road for extremely short-term gains. It’s been awful process throughout and this trade is no different."
Bleacher Report: Suns earn a C- for trade for Miles Bridges; Hornets receive an A
Andy Bailey writes: "And while Allen and O'Neale probably aren't the kind of ceiling raiser that Bridges might be for Phoenix, he's not the floor raiser those two are either. O'Neale and Allen were tied for third on the team (behind only Collin Gillespie and Devin Booker) in 2025-26 wins over replacement player. One of the things that made the Suns such a pleasant surprise last season was the number of helpful role players on the roster who didn't seem to care about individual accolades or production. Allen and O'Neale were a big part of that. Still, Phoenix didn't have anything close to a 'second star' to play alongside Booker. Bridges gets the Suns closer to that, but he's sort of a long shot."
ESPN: Suns take a D+ for Miles Bridges trade; Hornets land a B+
Zach Kram writes: "Since his return, Bridges has put up box score stats, but his raw scoring totals (17.1 points per game last season) overstate his impact. Advanced stats rate him as a roughly average player. Bridges will add size to a small Suns perimeter rotation, but there are a few problems with his fit on a winning team. The first is his defense; the Hornets have typically had a worse defensive rating with him on the floor versus when he's off."
Reach Jeremy Cluff at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Miles Bridges trade grades slam Phoenix Suns for 'shortsighted' deal