Report: Suns interested in trading for controversial player

Sep 30, 2019; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns general manager James Jones answers questions during Media Day at Talking Stick Resort Arena. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Having made it out of the storm by winning their last six games in a row, the Phoenix Suns could be throwing themselves into a different kind of storm.

Suns beat writer Gerald Bourguet reported in a column on Tuesday that Phoenix is showing interest in trading for Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges. The news comes with just over two weeks to go before the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline.

The 25-year-old Bridges is a very talented ball player, averaging a career-high 20.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game this season with the Hornets. He plays with force and athleticism at both forward positions and can also score from just about anywhere on the floor.

But Bridges’ skill on the court is significantly overshadowed by his baggage. Bridges was arrested in June 2022 on charges of felony domestic violence but managed to avoid prison time by pleading no contest to the charges. He would ultimately get a 30-game suspension from the NBA over the incident but was then arrested again last October for allegedly violating a protective order stemming from the original case (read the troubling details here).

As for the Suns, they have had a meteoric rise over the last few weeks and now sit at 25-18 (fifth in the West) after winning 11 of their last 14 games. With that kind of recent success, it is fair to question why the Suns would want to take on the toxicity of a player like Bridges. But the Hornets are open for business, having just made a notable trade, so it appears that Bridges (for better or for worse) is an option on the table for Phoenix.