The Suns’ move for Miles Bridges looks a lot less like a stopgap and a lot more like a long-term bet.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Phoenix plans to give Bridges both a major role and, down the line, a new contract, even if the two sides wait until later to hammer out an extension.
“Phoenix not only has an intent to pay him, but they have an intent to really give him a big role,” Windhorst said, via PHNX Suns.
Phoenix landed Bridges in an offseason deal with Charlotte that sent Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick to the Hornets. The Suns also received first- and second-round picks in the trade.
Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report also expects Bridges to be extended eventually. Bridges averaged 17.1 points last season, and the early read around the league is that Phoenix sees him as more than a one-year answer.
In Cleveland, Meleek Thomas may have done more than turn heads in Summer League.
Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com suggested Thomas’ performance in Las Vegas could have played a role in the Cavaliers’ comfort level when they sent veteran point guard Dennis Schroder to Charlotte.
Thomas, a rookie guard, averaged 27 points across four Summer League games and shot 43 percent from 3-point range. Cleveland, even though Thomas was mainly a shooting guard in college, let him work as a ball-handler and run the offense extensively in Las Vegas.
Soon after, the Cavaliers moved Schroder and cash to the Hornets for Tre Mann, trimming about $6.8 million in salary.
Thomas still has plenty to prove when the real games start, but if Cleveland thinks he can help right away, Schroder’s $14.8 million salary becomes a lot easier to move off the books.
The Clippers, meanwhile, made a different kind of bet.
Los Angeles is younger now and leaning toward a rebuild, which is why its decision to re-sign 33-year-old Bradley Beal to a two-year, $13.2 million deal with a second-year player option stands out. Cem Yolbulan of Clippers On SI questioned the move, and it’s hard to argue with the skepticism.
Beal turned down a $5.6 million option after playing just six games last season before hip surgery ended his year. Instead of coming back on that figure, he signed a new deal that pays him an average of $6.6 million per season.
He played six games, had major surgery, opted out and still got a raise.
Maybe the Clippers believe a healthy Beal can restore some value and eventually turn into a trade piece. But for a team supposedly focused on youth and flexibility, paying more than the minimum for an injured veteran whose best years seem behind him is a notable choice.
At the very least, Los Angeles is wagering that Beal has a lot more left than he showed a year ago.
In Other News...
Former Cavs Big Lands Intriguing New Role With Real Madrid
The Cavaliers summer roster shuffle has already sent a few familiar names to new places, with Thomas Bryant returning to Cleveland and Mario Hezonja arriving from Real Madrid. Around the league, former Cavs forward Larry Nance Jr. landed a one-year deal with the Indiana Pacers, while Keon Ellis and Dean Wade moved on with the Brooklyn Nets and Philadelphia 76ers, respectively.
Another former Cleveland big man is now headed to an intriguing stop in Europe. Olivier Sarr, who briefly spent time with the Cavaliers, has signed a two-year deal with Real Madrid and will join former Celtics player Max Shulga there, giving the Spanish powerhouse another NBA-connected addition as it continues to stockpile talent. [Read more 🡒]
Cavs Face A Risky Peyton Watson Question As Interest Builds
The Cavaliers interest in Peyton Watson makes sense on paper. Denvers forward flashed enough last season to catch Clevelands attention, and the front office is digging into the usual blend of advanced metrics and scouting to figure out whether the fit would translate in a new setting. For a team always weighing upside against certainty, Watson represents the kind of swing that can be tempting if the evaluation comes back clean.
The issue, of course, is how much of last season to trust. Watson had a strong stretch that showed what he can do when things click, but Cleveland still has to decide whether that version is the real one or just the best snapshot of a larger, less consistent body of work. For now, the Cavaliers are only in the evaluation stage, and the bigger question is whether the interest turns into something more serious. [Read more 🡒]