There was tons of excitement from Philadelphia 76ers fans during the 2018 NBA Draft. When the tenth pick rolled around on June 21, 2018, the Sixers selected a Malvern, Pennsylvania-born wing, Mikal Bridges.
The selection was shaping up to be a feel-good story in Philadelphia as a local kid who attended Villanova University was going to play for the local professional basketball team, which is also the organization his mother works for.
Not too long after the selection, the Sixers moved on from Bridges in the same night. Former Sixers head coach Brett Brown, who was serving as the temporary General Manager of the team, flipped Bridges in a trade with the Phoenix Suns to land Texas Tech wing Zhaire Smith and a future first-round pick.
At the time, fans were extremely disappointed in the 76ers' decision to trade Bridges for Smith, and in hindsight, they had every right to be. Three years into his Suns career, Bridges has averaged 30 minutes on the floor in 227 games. He's knocked down 50-percent of his career field-goal attempts and averaged 38-percent from beyond the arc over his first three seasons in the league, putting up 10 points per game.
Meanwhile, Smith battled setbacks, which stunted his growth early on. While the guy who drafted him made it clear that Smith was going to be a work in progress through his first few seasons, Bridges was already a regular contributor in Phoenix.
At this point, it's clear who won the trade. As the Sixers cut ties with Smith before his third year in the NBA, the Suns are utilizing Bridges as a starter while playing in the 2021 NBA Finals. While Bridges is surrounded by superior talents such as Chris Paul and Devin Booker, he's still thriving in his role. And as Bridges dropped 14 points in his NBA Finals debut on Tuesday, Sixers fans reacted as expected.
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