The Phoenix Suns surprisingly sprung a trade for Miles Bridges on Sunday, and The Valley sure had some thoughts on that one.
Whatever your opinion of the player, the reality is he is now in Phoenix and with his arrival comes some difficult questions that are going to have to be answered in the coming months.
Rasheer Fleming's path to a bigger role has hit major road block.
It was all looking so promising for Fleming. He didn't see much action in his rookie campaign, but did end the season getting some minutes (and making a few 3-pointers) in the playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
His combination of size and a shooting touch that neither Ryan Dunn or Koa Peat can get near meaning he was a shoe-in to have a bigger role with the team next season. The departures of Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale only making this more of an inevitability.
Not only that, but we were staring into the exciting possibility of the Suns playing three future starters together at Summer League, Fleming being one of them. You know, actually backing up all that talk of continuity and building for the future by letting the exciting prospects run free together.
Fleming is still going to get some run, but it won't be the same. The Suns have to figure out how to combine Bridges and Dillon Brooks, while Jalen Green remains on this roster for the time being.
The franchise just opened up a roster spot as part of the Bridges deal, so there is going to be another arrival looking for minutes in the coming months. That is likely to be yet another forward, while Haywood Highsmith is quietly still knocking around Phoenix and the team doesn't appear to want to lose him.
We recently proclaimed that the team would be unable to add either of these defensive standouts, both of which are now available, but the Bridges trade changes that.
Which is bad news for Fleming in his quest to be a starter for this team, and a stint in the G League if the Suns are competitive again next season could be on the cards. It could be worse for the 21-year-old though, he could be Ryan Dunn.
If you thought Fleming's career had taken a step backwards, and it has, then Dunn's is over in Phoenix. All for a player who doesn't make them much better, at best changes their culture and who comes with some baggage. Strange.
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