Charlotte Hornets Trade Miles Bridges to Phoenix Suns for Impressive Package

The Hornets have made another move.

Apr 12, 2026; New York, New York, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) dribbles up court against the New York Knicks during the first half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Jeff Peterson is wheeling and dealing. For the second time in the last handful of days, he has made a trade. According to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania, veteran forward Miles Bridges is headed to the Phoenix Suns.

The trade details

Suns receive: Miles Bridges, 2029 1st round pick, 2027 2nd round pick

Hornets receive: Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale, 2033 1st round pick

Initial thought on the trade

Apr 17, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) is fouled by Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) during the second half during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

This deal makes a lot of sense for both sides. The Suns have been linked to Bridges for the past couple of seasons, and it now gives them more athleticism on the wing. I wouldn't be surprised if he plays more of the three in Phoenix, with Dillon Brooks playing more of the four. Regardless, it's a deal that helps the Suns.

As for Charlotte, they checked a bunch of boxes here. They were able to add more shooting in the backcourt, snagging Grayson Allen, who is a career 40% shooter from beyond the arc, as well as Royce O'Neale, who has connected on 38% of his attempts from downtown. O'Neale will improve the Hornets' defense in a big way on the wing and can switch pretty much one through four.

What this means for the current group

Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Sion James (4) at pregame warm ups against the Miami Heat during the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

This will inevitably bump soon-to-be second-year man Sion James to the third spot at the two, which is where he should be. With all due respect to what he does defensively, he just doesn't bring enough to the table on the offensive end to warrant north of 22 minutes per game. He'll still have a key role in the rotation, but I would expect him to play under 20 minutes per night now.

The same goes for Liam McNeeley, who didn't get many opportunities as a rookie. There was no way Jeff Peterson was going to enter the 2026-27 season with him as the primary backup to Brandon Miller. O'Neale is about as good an option as it gets. He has a ton of experience, can start for you if needed, and is a better 3&D guy than Josh Green, who was included in the LaMelo Ball deal to Minnesota.

Hornets updated roster

PG: Coby White, Christian Anderson

SG: Kon Knueppel, Grayson Allen, Sion James

SF: Brandon Miller, Royce O'Neale, Liam McNeeley

PF: Naz Reid, Grant Williams, Tidjane Salaün

C: Moussa Diabaté, Hannes Steinbach, Ryan Kalkbrenner

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