Suns' Offseason Success Ultimately Rides on Miles Bridges

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns' offseason was on humming on schedule to start festivities.

After so much chatter of continuity from general manager Brian Gregory and owner Mat Ishbia, the Suns re-signed the likes of Jordan Goodwin, Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams.

Phoenix was limited in their capabilities to really improve the team this offseason, though handling in-house business and bringing back players on friendly deals was a massive win.

However, the Suns made a series of eye-opening moves when they traded up in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft for Koa Peat while also acquiring Miles Bridges via trade from the Charlotte Hornets.

While Peat's role has yet to be defined, Bridges will stroll into starting power forward duties for the 2026-27 season — placing him at the top of Phoenix's x-factor list:

Why Suns' Offseason Success Hinges on Miles Bridges

Phoenix received a B- offseason grade from ESPN with the following explanation from Zach Kram:

"The Suns handed out a bunch of smart contracts this summer, to Collin Gillespie, Jordan Goodwin, Mark Williams and Luke Kennard. If they'd stopped there, they would've had one of the best offseasons for any team.

"But then they went one step further and traded an unprotected 2033 first-round pick for Miles Bridges, who has just one season left on his contract and is less impactful than his surface stats suggest. That deal was so questionable on its own that it knocked the Suns from a B-plus summer to a B-minus."

Arizona Sports' Kellan Olson wrote a detailed outlook on Phoenix's starting lineup, which was definitely worth the read. One of the points he highlights is the lack of defense:

"Bridges on defense has ranged in his eight-year career from moderately impactful to not good, more consistently landing in the latter range. He will have to be the best he’s ever been at a 4 spot where defensive versatility is vital," Olson wrote.

There's no sugarcoating it: The Suns very much banked on a strong mix of continuity from their returning players and a boost from their biggest outside addition in Bridges.

Bridges won't immediately transform the Suns, though he does offer a more significant paint presence as opposed to Royce O'Neale — who was involved in the trade for Bridges.

Still, and especially with his off-court issues, the Suns simply cannot afford for Bridges to be a non-factor during the season.

If he's able to elevate Phoenix's lineup to a new level, we'll be able to look back on this summer and appreciate the work done by the Suns' front