Wild Hornets-Suns Trade Proposal Might Actually Work Out Perfectly

The Charlotte Hornets may not make a big splash this offseason, but they probably won't be silent. They have some money to spend and two draft picks, but where they might be able to make the most noise is on the trade market.

They could trade, as NBA insider Sam Vecenie noted, Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns. It might sound like a wild idea, but it could actually work out perfectly. And the Hornets and Suns have a good relationship with prior deals, too.

In the Phoenix Suns offseason preview on the Game Theory podcast, @Sam_Vecenie proposed a trade to acquire Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets:

➡️ HORNETS: Khaman Maluach, Grayson Allen
➡️ SUNS: Miles Bridges, Ryan Kalkbrenner (or the 18th pick) pic.twitter.com/9J6qAuKO6E
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) May 25, 2026

Vecenie pitched Bridges as a potential target from the Suns' perspective this offseason. "That's a name I can see for them," he said. "Athletic floor man." The insider ultimately came up with this proposal:

Suns receive:
Miles Bridges
Ryan Kalkbrenner/18th pick
Hornets receive:
Grayson Allen
Khaman Maluach

The insider added, "The Hornets get the upside swing at center, which they kind of need. We like Moussa Diabaté, we like Kalkbrenner, but Maluach has a bit of a different upside than both of those guys do. And if you're going to use the 18th overall pick on something like that, that's not bad."

Vecenie also noted that Allen would fit well as a shooter within the Hornets' scheme. "Here's the question: Would you give up the 18th pick for Maluach right now? It's pretty close for me, to be honest."

Here's why the Hornets would make this deal. They would be able to move on from Bridges, which is probably a need at this point since he was the worst member of the starting five, and has a negative impact when on the floor.

Phoenix Suns guard Grayson Allen (8) shoots the ball against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

They'd bring in Allen as a bench shooter, thereby giving Charles Lee a real weapon to either use in place of Kon Knueppel or alongside him. He could ratchet up the shooting by putting both on the floor or prevent the Hornets' spacing from cratering when Knueppel sits.

And if the trade is Kalkbrenner for Maluach, the Hornets would allow themselves to look at an immediate plug-and-play center in the draft or free agency while letting Maluach develop. We know what Kalkbrenner is and what he isn't, but Maluach still has some upside.

Plus, he might benefit from reuniting with Knueppel and Sion James, his former Duke teammates. It's worth a swing, and while Allen's contract isn't great, he would be a better fit off the bench than Bridges, who could also move out of the way for Grant Williams or a rookie, both of whom would probably be better at this stage.

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