The Phoenix Suns paid a steep price to bring in Miles Bridges, but the early read on the move is pretty clear: it changes the look of the roster without changing the team’s place in the West.
That was the blunt takeaway from Sam Quinn of CBS on The Third Apron Podcast with Yossi Gozlan, which returned recently with training camp approaching later this month. Quinn tore into the Suns for giving up an unprotected 2033 first-round pick in the deal, calling it a move that didn’t move the needle nearly enough.
“He (Ishbia) does not understand long-term roster building responsibility in any way, shape or form. Trading for a 2033 first round pick for Miles Bridges to go from a Play-In team to a Play-In team is maybe the most indefensible thing any NBA team did this offseason.”
That may sound over the top, but the larger point lands: those unprotected firsts are the kind of assets teams usually reserve for true franchise-changing swings. Quinn pointed to the kind of packages involved when players like LaMelo Ball and Giannis Antetokounmpo changed teams this summer, and the Suns used that level of draft capital on Bridges.
There is still a basketball case for the move. Bridges is a clear upgrade over Royce O'Neale, and after averaging over 20 points per game the season before last, he should help ease the burden on Devin Booker. He also fits into a roster that has Michigan ties and, at least on paper, could be one of those players expected to fall short of big expectations in The Valley.
But that’s where the tension sits. Both things can be true: Phoenix overpaid badly, and Bridges will still help them win games.
The problem is that “helping win games” does not necessarily mean escaping the Play-In. Quinn’s argument is that the Suns are still a Play-In team in the Western Conference, even if some fans believe rivals such as the Los Angeles Lakers could slide enough to open a path to a top-four seed.
This is a veteran-heavy roster, and the loss of starting center Mark Williams to injury hurts. Even so, the Suns may be able to absorb that blow internally. Head coach Jordan Ott should be able to get a top-12 defense out of the group, and they should still be a difficult matchup night after night.
Even with that upside, the broader picture hasn’t changed much. The West is packed with massive moves and heavy hitters, and Bridges at this price doesn’t look like the answer to that kind of competition.
There’s also the timing to consider. Bridges arrives with off-court baggage and is eligible for an extension, which creates the kind of short-term incentive that can make a front office feel better about a deal than it should. If he puts up numbers on offense and keeps things smooth, the trade will probably get sold as a win.
But the real judgment may not come until much later. By 2033, when Bridges is long gone - “we're calling it before 2030” - and Booker is closer to 40 than 30, the cost of handing over that pick may look a lot worse than it does right now.
In Other News...
Suns Suddenly Face A Center Decision They May Not Escape
Mark Williams injury has quickly turned a preseason concern into a real roster issue for the Suns, whose center depth was already thin enough to draw attention. With limited financial flexibility and a frontcourt that now leans on Khaman Maluach, Oso Ighodaro and CJ Huntley, Phoenix is suddenly looking at a position group that could be tested far earlier than it wanted.
The next move is not obvious, and that is what makes this worth watching. The Suns are considering whether to add a free agent center, but they may also give the group some runway and revisit the market in January after seeing more from their young bigs and getting a better read on the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Suddenly Had A Frontcourt Problem They Couldnt Ignore
A frontcourt injury forced the Suns to move quickly, and the answer is a familiar name to people who have followed the organizations depth-chasing for a while. Phoenix is signing center Duop Reath after Mark Williams went down with a shoulder injury, giving the team another big body to help stabilize the rotation while it sorts through the early-season fallout. Reath, who spent time overseas before making his NBA debut with Portland in the 2023-24 season, gives the Suns an experienced option at a position that suddenly needed one.
For Phoenix, the timing matters as much as the addition itself. The Suns are counting on Khaman Maluach and Oso Ighodaro to carry most of the center minutes, but injuries can change that picture fast, especially when a team is already trying to build out its interior depth. Reaths arrival at least keeps the Suns from having to lean too heavily on the same two names, and it raises the next question the team will have to answer as the frontcourt picture settles: how much more of the season will it need to cover there, and by whom? [Read more 🡒]
Suns Just Sent Another Message About Their Crowded Backcourt
The Suns have continued trimming the edges of their roster with training camp still taking shape, and the latest move keeps the focus on a backcourt that already looks crowded. Jordan Schakel, a guard with limited NBA experience, was waived from his Exhibit 10 contract after spending time in the G League and overseas, a familiar sort of transaction for a team trying to sort out its guard depth and developmental pipeline.
Schakels next stop is expected to be the Valley Suns for the upcoming season, which fits the pattern Phoenix has leaned on for players who still have something to prove in its system. For a team balancing immediate rotation concerns with long-term depth, these decisions can be easy to miss, but they often say plenty about where the organization sees the most competition and where it wants to keep a close eye on players closest to the next call-up. [Read more 🡒]