Miles Bridges trade grades for Suns, Hornets after LaMelo Ball blockbuster

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Miles Bridges trade grades for Suns, Hornets after LaMelo Ball blockbuster

Hayden Cilley, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Sun, Jun 28, 2026 ·

4 min read

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Miles Bridges trade grades for Suns, Hornets after LaMelo Ball blockbuster appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

After years and years, the Phoenix Suns finally traded for Miles Bridges from the Charlotte Hornets along with a 2029 first-round pick and 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Grayson Allen , Royce O'Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.

This comes as a bit of a surprise considering the positional logjam that Bridges will be inserted into. Guys like Ryan Dunn , Rasheer Fleming , Dillon Brooks , and even rookie Koa Peat fill the forward spots.

However, there are some advantageous moves besides landing a talented forward who fits the power forward spot. Phoenix will save roughly $20 million in tax savings and open up a roster spot before free agency, as Charania also reported.

Suns trade grade for Miles Bridges trade

Suns trade grade: B+

In terms of a win-now move, this is a great one and fills a positional need. Even though there were reports of the Suns expecting Fleming to take a massive Year 2 leap, this is a quality insurance policy.

Bridges brings true perimeter scoring, someone who can crash the glass, and has a unique athleticism to him. He can play above the rim but has been more well-rounded over the last handful of seasons with Charlotte.

However, in a stacked Western Conference, just trading for Bridges may not be enough. Also, he comes with a $22 million price tag that is set to come off the books following the 2026-27 season.

Again, this could be a safe bet for the Suns to take after an impressive year with head coach Jordan Ott at the helm.

On the flip side, losing two of the league's perennial 3-point shooters is a massive blow. Allen had a career season, despite battling through nagging injuries, and O'Neale had a career-best season from deep, shooting 41%.

Landing Bridges was a quality move, but it was giving up two of the most consistent players on the roster that was tough.

In addition, losing out on the 2033 first-round pick could have serious implications if the Suns enter a full rebuild. There aren't any protections on the pick, meaning that hypothetically, Phoenix lands the No. 1 pick, which belongs to Charlotte.

Ducking the luxury tax, opening up a roster spot, and acquiring Bridges were great, but what they gave up makes this grade lower than it could be.

Hornets grade for Miles Bridges trade

Hornets grade: A

It's clear that Charlotte wants to make a playoff push, and they were extremely close in 2025-26. They made it to the Play-In tournament, where they were immediately bounced by the Orlando Magic .

During that season, rookie Kon Knueppel emerged as a true No. 2 and now, a potential No. 1 option. Not to mention, guys like Brandon Miller have taken the reins as the top scoring forward.

As a result, Bridges fizzled out of a major offensive workload. He was still productive, but it was clear that the organization wanted to run it with the young guys.

Trading him away left questions about who would return? Charlotte needed veterans who can mentor the younger players and show them the winning ways: insert O'Neale and Allen.

The latter can already connect with Knueppel because of their shared history with Duke basketball. Most importantly, Allen has been a part of championship teams and knows the intangibles of what goes into it.

O'Neale is the ultimate veteran and someone whose elite shooting and defense can immediately be used. Not to mention, he's on one of the more friendly contracts (roughly $12 million per year in the next two seasons).

Lastly, that 2033 unprotected first-round pick could be a gemstone in disguise. If everything dries up in Phoenix, then the Hornets can capitalize on a potential generational player if the opportunity arises.

That alone raises the grade, but landing two impact players who can immediately contribute and fill positional gaps is automatically a win.

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