NBA World Hates Suns' Splash Trade For Miles Bridges

The Phoenix Suns didn't do well in their trade for Miles Bridges according to numerous opinions.

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

The Phoenix Suns acquired Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets earlier today, making waves through the NBA world.

While we gave our immediate thoughts earlier (which you can check out here), the reactions from the national level are sort of across the board with mostly negative feelings:

ESPN: D+

Zach Kram: "Bridges will add size to a small Suns perimeter rotation, but there are a few problems with his fit on a winning team. The first is his defense; the Hornets have typically had a worse defensive rating with him on the floor versus when he's off.

"One wonders whether the Suns have an overly optimistic view of Bridges because of his connection to Michigan State, where he played for two seasons before entering the NBA draft in 2018. Suns owner Mat Ishbia, coach Jordan Ott and general manager Brian Gregory all spent years at Michigan State; Gregory was a consultant for the program in 2016-17, Bridges' freshman year."

Our take: The Michigan State theory/connections do seem to be a bit overplayed, though with each passing Spartan that begins to make their way to the desert, it's getting harder and harder to overlook the pipelines. Also, Bridges' size isn't exactly a massive step towards improvement over Royce O'Neale.

The Athletic: B-

Zach Harper: "Bridges, 28, is a free agent in 2027, and the Suns obviously will need to re-sign him. He’s been pretty healthy in his career, though he did miss significant time as the legal process played out when he faced domestic violence and child abuse charges in 2022. (Bridges pleaded no contest to felony domestic violence.) He did not play in the 2022-23 season and was issued a 30-game suspension that carried over as 10 games for the start of 2023-24. Bridges missed just five games last season.

"There are still major holes within this roster, even as the Suns fix the problem at power forward. But they’re grabbing a more reliable secondary scorer next to Booker, and that should help him quite a bit."

Our take: This obviously is a bit more of optimistic outlook on the trade, though it feels nearly impossible to bring Bridges up without discussing his past. The Suns have worked hard under new owner Mat Ishbia to rework the identity of the organization, and Bridges' arrival doesn't speak to that considering his past.

CBS Sports: D

Sam Quinn: "The Suns are coming off a feel-good season fueled by defense and effort. It's easier to sustain those things in the first year following the misery of the 2024-25 campaign in which the team effectively imploded with Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal headed for exits.

"With lottery reform killing tanking, Phoenix is not going to be able to try-hard their way into nearly as many regular-season wins, and this deal does nothing to raise their playoff ceiling against opponents like the Thunder team that decimated them in the first round. The reward here was minimal, and the risk was monumental."

Our take: This was an interesting move for the Suns, considering at their end-of-season press conferences they assured no major moves were on the horizon. This was likely their top move to upgrade the roster, so they'd better hope they're correct in their assessment of Bridges' fit.