The Phoenix Suns have been busy dealing with the Charlotte Hornets over the last couple of seasons, and that activity may end up helping Charlotte chase a bigger prize: Domantas Sabonis.
Jake Fischer reported recently on Bleacher Report that the Hornets remain in the mix for the 30-year-old former All-Star from the Sacramento Kings. That possibility exists in part because the Suns have taken on three frontcourt players from Charlotte, each with some clear baggage of his own.
The first was center Nick Richards, who served as a stopgap during the Kevin Durant era and is already gone. Phoenix tried to use him as a starter, and the Miami Heat are now the ones about to deal with the limitations that come with him.
Then came Mark Williams, a player the Suns were willing to send two first-round picks for in hopes that he could become their center of the future. Williams is only 24 and signed a three-year, $38 million extension to remain with Phoenix this offseason, but sophomore Khaman Maluach is already pressing him for the starting job. Williams is not a bad player - he is the best true center Phoenix has had since Deandre Ayton - yet his health will always hang over him, and 60 games a season would be a strong outcome.
Even so, the Suns should have some flexibility to move him later if they need to, thanks to the deal he is on and the thin market for elite centers.
Miles Bridges is a different story. He comes with off-court baggage, and while he was a solid player for Charlotte, the idea of turning him into Sabonis makes plenty of sense. It also reflects well on the Hornets’ front office, which appears to have gotten its act together.
The Suns did not necessarily lose these trades with Charlotte, though the Williams deal still looks questionable. What they did do was take on players with obvious limits or a damaged reputation.
Charlotte, meanwhile, was bold enough to move on from face of the franchise LaMelo Ball in search of a better future. Sabonis would fit that mission nicely, and he is, ironically, the ideal forward to put next to Devin Booker.
If Phoenix can later flip some of these veterans for a co-star of its own, then everyone can walk away satisfied. For now, though, it is hard to ignore the possibility that the Hornets used The Valley as a place to unload good players before maybe landing a great one.
In Other News...
Miles Bridges Changes The Suns Question Dillon Brooks Now Faces
Miles Bridges gives Phoenix a different kind of edge, and the early read on his fit is less about shot volume than how his presence could reshape the Suns offense. The move points the team toward more downhill attacking and more pressure at the rim, the sort of approach that can open up cleaner looks for everyone else and change the rhythm of the half-court. For a roster trying to find the right balance, that kind of addition matters as much for what it creates off the ball as for the points it directly brings.
Dillon Brooks is the one who may feel the ripple effect most. If Phoenix leans further into penetration and kickouts, the pecking order can shift quickly, and Brooks touch time and usage may not look the same as they did before the roster change. Nothing is settled yet, but the Suns now have a clearer question to answer about how much offense they want flowing through strength at the rim versus the perimeter shots and secondary chances that come with it. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Drama Just Dragged Two Former Suns Into A Mess
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Chris Paul remains central to that frustration after being sent home early in the season, effectively closing the book on his run with Los Angeles, while Bradley Beals recent switch to No. 3 added another layer of noise. The number choice set off reactions from fans and brought a quick defense of Pauls legacy from Beal himself, a reminder that even a jersey change can turn into a referendum when the Clippers are already under the microscope. [Read more 🡒]
Miles Bridges Already Faces An Awkward Suns Question In Camp
Miles Bridges arrived in Phoenix as one of the more notable additions of the Suns offseason, a move that signaled how aggressively the team was willing to reshape its wing rotation. The trade brought him in as part of a deal built around a 2033 first-round pick, and it immediately put him in the middle of a roster conversation that has been going on since camp opened.
The wrinkle is that Bridges may not be stepping into an uncontested role. Rookie Koa Peat has already emerged as a name to watch because of his defensive tools and the way his game can fit the Suns style, giving the coaching staff a real decision to weigh as it sorts through the lineup. Nothing is settled yet, but the competition around that spot gives Phoenix one of the more interesting camp battles to monitor. [Read more 🡒]