Behind-The-Scenes Video Shows Suns Gave Hornets Exactly What They Wanted for Miles Bridges

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns made a pretty controversial trade earlier this summer when they acquired Miles Bridges, a non-favorable 2029 first-round pick and 2027 second-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O'Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick.

Bridges fills the need of a starting power forward for Phoenix, but brings baggage of past domestic violence incidents, and the Suns had to give up their most valuable draft asset in the 2033 first rounder to land him.

On the Hornets side, the 2033 pick was a huge key in moving off Bridges.

New Video Reveals Hornets' View on Bridges Trade

Apr 2, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Royce O'Neale (00) on defense against Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) during the second quarter at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A new behind-the-scenes video posted by the Hornets shows the trade from their vantage point.

Before trading away LaMelo Ball in a surprising blockbuster deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte general manager Jeff Peterson already knew what the next move likely had to be if they moved on from Ball.

"If we trade LaMelo, we're probably trading Miles," Peterson said to the Hornets front office in the video.

After pulling the trigger on the Ball trade, the Suns, who have now made four separate trades with Charlotte since Jan. 2025, were an easy target for trade discussions involving Bridges.

"Phoenix is a team that has has liked Miles for quite some time," Peterson said.

In what appears to be a phone call with the Suns front office, a Hornets decision-maker asked Phoenix right away for the 2033 pick.

“If you guys are willing to have some level of conversation around your '33 first and Miles as like a starting point of the framework, and we can kind of figure out the rest of the details, I think that would be something we would discuss," the executive said.

Charlotte was more than happy that the Suns were willing to give up this pick.

"Getting that 2033 unprotected pick was something that we felt good about to kind of have in our back pocket to whenever the time comes to maybe package some assets and go get a player that can help make a difference on this team," Peterson said.

They're also high on what Allen and O'Neale are going to bring to the table.

"It was one of those things where you know what we were getting back in Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale, two respectable players in this league who've had really good careers, considering just where they started," Peterson said.

🗣️ Jeff Peterson: "If we trade LaMelo (Ball), we're probably trading Miles (Bridges)…"

Insights from the Charlotte Hornets front office on how the trades came together, and why they made them: pic.twitter.com/muPk4P72eB
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) August 21, 2026

While trading the 2033 pick still remains a head scratcher for the Suns, especially given what big name players were traded for this summer, general manager Brian Gregory previously explained the Phoenix's reasoning behind trading the pick.

"We feel very comfortable with the overall, all the different aspects of the trade, getting another first-round pick back," Gregory said (via The Arizona Republics's Duane Rankin). "I remember multiple years ago, the question was we have no first-round picks, but that pick that we are acquired, we're now gonna have seven straight years of first-round picks. Who would have thought it?  And an additional second-round pick in that as well.

"I think the one thing you have to look at when you're talking about an unprotected versus these favorable among two teams and different things like that, we're always gonna be good. So where are our draft picks gonna be? Especially with the new rules and all those different things?  That pick value down the road was not the same as it was a year ago because of the changes in the draft lottery and different things like that.

"So we felt very comfortable.  We thought it was a fair deal, but most importantly, we got Miles Bridges. So that, in my opinion, tipped the scales for us."

It remains to be seen if the Suns' confidence in trading away their best draft asset will pay off down the line, but it's clear that the Hornets were more than happy to acquire it alongside Allen and O'Neale for what is an expiring contract in Bridges and a 2029 first rounder that is the least favorable of Charlotte, Utah, Cleveland, or Minnesota.

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