The biggest piece of business the Phoenix Suns will likely engage in all offseason was swinging for Miles Bridges, with General Manager Brian Gregory calling him a "perfect fit" in The Vally.
Who are we to argue with Gregory after an fantastic first season in his role, but we can't escape this nagging feeling about the Bridges acquisition since the trade was announced.
Bridges yet another person with Michigan State ties in Phoenix
There's no way Mat Ishbia ultimately approved the deal because Bridges also went to Michigan is there? And if that somehow is the case, then you better believe it will be a key moment when talking about the demise of this team, which will happen if that was one of the deciding factors.
We all laughed a year ago when Ishbia gave Gregory his first GM role, and both being Michigan guys was thought to have been a factor.
He got that one right, and somehow repeated the trick when deciding to bring in Jordan Ott for his first head coaching gig as well. He also exceeded expectations, the whole organization did in making the playoffs, but you cannot keep spamming the same decisions and expecting success.
Eventually that luck will turn, and Bridges has all the makings of being a Michigan bridge (sorry...) too far.
The cost of an unprotected first rounder in 2033 alongside Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale was too steep, while Bridges represented the fourth trade with the Charlotte Hornets since January of 2025. A franchise hardly known for deep playoff runs and sustained success.
Then there are the off the court issues which he swears are behind him, but what about on the court? The fit alongside Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams means the Suns are going to bludgeon opponents inside the paint each night, but that would appear a one-dimensional offense in today's game.
Entering the final year of his current contract, it is incredibly unlikely the franchise just did all of this to let him walk next summer either, so an extension is coming. Meaning this is another 'Michigan Man' who is going nowhere, no matter what happens with the Suns next season.
Their odds of making the postseason again are as long as they were last time out, and they could yet surprise us all once more. We know Ishbia loves his Michigan guys (and the Hornets as a trade partner), but he should have quit while he was ahead with the Gregory and Ishbia hires.
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