Deandre Ayton apparently is not the only Phoenix Suns player whose contract situation the team may be bungling right now.
Suns forward Mikal Bridges spoke with reporters on Friday and sounded disheartened about not yet receiving an extension.
“I sit there, just wait every day, keep improving and don’t let it get to me,” he said, per Kellan Olson of The Arizona Republic. “Just gotta wait. I’ve tried to prove as much as I can as time goes on.
“I just want to be here, man,” Bridges went on. “That’s what the whole thing is. I want to be here and it’s up to those guys. Deadline is close so we’ll see.”
The deadline for the Suns to extend Bridges, a fourth-year player, is Oct. 18. That is also the deadline for them to extend Ayton, who was a member of the same draft class. Should Phoenix fail to reach an agreement with either player, both will hit restricted free agency next offseason.
Bridges, 25, earned his keep with the Suns last season. He posted career-highs of 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists a game on an elite 42.5 percent from deep. Bridges’ length and ability to check dynamic wing scorers also helped anchor Phoenix’s defense during its NBA Finals run.
These comments from Bridges are pretty concerning, however, and Ayton’s situation does not sound much better either. That means the Suns run the risk of alienating (and maybe eventually losing) two starters from last year’s Finals squad. But making the team’s players feel insulted would not be out of character for Suns owner Robert Sarver.
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