The arrival of Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns has certainly divided opinion, but the reality is the forward will be playing for the franchise next season.
Which is bad news for Rasheer Fleming, whose path to more regular season minutes has taken a significant blow. Collin Gillespie is another Suns player who should be annoyed by the arrival of Bridges for two clear reasons.
Bridges coming to Phoenix makes Gillespie’s life harder on the court
The most obvious setback for the recently extended floor general is how much more difficult trying to accommodate Bridges alongside Dillon Brooks is going to be. Spacing was already at a premium before he entered the starting five, but swapping out Grayson Allen’s 3-point range for Bridges’ inside game cramps the group’s spacing even more.
Gillespie had built a great relationship with Brooks going back to training camp last season, even earning the nickname “Villain Jr.” from his teammate. Bridges coming to town doesn’t change that, but it is another forward with their own personality who will want the ball at the expense of Gillespie.
The second part of his arrival is even worse news for the former two-way guard, because it threatens his long-term spot with the franchise.
Phoenix has opened up a roster spot by dealing Allen and Royce O’Neale for Bridges, and there is a strong chance they target another point guard now that they can. Dejounte Murray a name that makes sense as the Suns could move on from Jalen Green in the process.
Before this trade went down Gillespie was squaring off against Green for minutes and perhaps even a starting berth, and he had being a natural table setter on his side. Now it is hard to see him ever being any more than a backup, which suits the Suns as it increases their depth but puts a clear cap on how much Gillespie’s role can grow in The Valley.
At least he can still be the defensive guard that head coach Jordan Ott clearly has a use for.
Gillespie was integral to the culture that the organization built last season, but a lot of that appears to have been thrown away in favor of this unexpected move. Running it back was the ideal outcome for the former Villanova standout, but the front office is not done making moves yet. Gillespie is going nowhere, but the five man groups he is now going to be a part of feel clunkier than they did only a few short days ago.
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