The Phoenix Suns have made a habit of treating draft picks like disposable currency, and the Miles Bridges deal is the latest move that has people wondering what exactly the long game is supposed to be.
There’s no real debate about the price. The trade has split the fanbase, but the overpay angle is hard to ignore, especially with Phoenix also trying to patch together the production it lost from Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen. Even so, the part that stings most is the decision to include an unprotected first-round pick in 2033.
That kind of move looks even rougher now that some of the Suns’ own draft choices are starting to show real value. Ryan Dunn may still end up as a miss, but Oso Ighodaro has already become a rotation player in The Valley.
Then there’s Khaman Maluach, whose path to Phoenix is a little messy on paper. He was technically drafted 10th overall in 2025 by the Houston Rockets, and plenty of people have suggested the Suns asked Houston to take him before folding him into the Kevin Durant trade. However it happened, he’s in the building now, and his Summer League showing suggested he’s taken a real step forward.
Phoenix also moved up late in the first round this year to grab Koa Peat, another move that cost draft capital but already looks like it could pay off. Like Maluach, Peat was shut down in Las Vegas ahead of next season.
That’s the frustrating part for the Suns. In two seasons, there’s a world where Maluach, Peat and Ighodaro are three of the top eight players on the roster around Devin Booker.
The front office, ownership and coaching staff all appear aligned on what the team needs. The problem is that so much of the draft capital that could help build that vision has already been spent.
Phoenix’s approach has been simple: do everything possible to win now around Booker, even if it means moving future picks whenever the chance comes up. But the results haven’t matched the aggression. And while the Suns keep tossing picks into deals like the Bridges trade, the early signs from Maluach and Peat make the cost feel heavier by the day.
As Booker gets older, that reality is going to come into sharper focus.
In Other News...
Suns Still Seem One Move Away From Solving A Growing Concern
Phoenix has spent the offseason doing plenty of roster work already, from the Miles Bridges trade to keeping Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin and Mark Williams, while also bringing in Luke Kennard and adding Koa Peat in the draft. The Suns even showed last fall how willing they can be to keep tinkering late, when they sent Deandre Ayton to Portland in a deal that reshaped the group on the fly.
Even with all that activity, the projected starting lineup still looks like it could use one more adjustment before it feels truly balanced. The fit questions are real enough to keep the front office watching, but there is no sense of urgency around an immediate move, which leaves Phoenix in a familiar spot: close to being set, yet still one step from solving the concern that keeps hanging over the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Khaman Maluach Just Gave Suns Fans Something They Have Been Missing
Khaman Maluachs Summer League run gave Phoenix a welcome reminder of what development can look like when a young big starts to slow the game down. After looking raw and out of place as a rookie, he appeared far more comfortable this month, playing with a level of control and impact that stood out enough to earn attention beyond the Suns own building.
ESPNs Ben Golliver even labeled Maluach the Most Improved Sophomore, a nod to how much cleaner and more assertive his game looked in Las Vegas. The Suns liked what they saw enough to bring him back to Phoenix after just four appearances, and now the bigger question is how much of that Summer League progress can carry into a role that matters when the real games start. [Read more 🡒]