The Phoenix Suns trading for Miles Bridges this offseason... we've had some thoughts on that.
Like it or not he now calls The Valley home, and on Wednesday he appeared in front of the media for the first time alongside General Manager Brian Gregory in what could have been a tense and messy affair.
Bridges addressing off the court issues immediately correct call
Instead the 28-year-old began the press conference by coming right out about the off the court issues that had so many fans disgusted by the decision to trade for him in the first place. On top of that, Bridges also spoke about the steps he has taken since then to become a better person.
We can't go back and undo the trade or change the past, so this was the best way that Bridges could have handled his first time speaking to media in Phoenix.
It does not change what he did and he does not deserve a pat on the back for taking steps to be a better person after the fact. But speaking purely from the perspective of Suns basketball, this was the ideal way to begin his tenure and ensure that everybody focuses on what Bridges does on the court.
There was no dancing around the subject or refusing to answer any particular line up questioning.
Which is what the Suns needed to have happen after what has been a surprisingly successful 12 months since trading away Kevin Durant. Franchise cornerstone Devin Booker remains happy and engaged despite taking a step back, and this team did just appear in the playoffs.
Then there are guys like Collin Gillespie and even Jamaree Bouyea who helped make this group so ease to root for last time out. They played hard every night and managed to get a fanbase that was drifting away from the team to care once more.
The addition of Bridges threatened all of that, and we're not out of the woods yet. Any kind of off the court flare up, no matter how small, will rightly send The Valley into meltdown. The price to acquire the former Charlotte Hornet felt unnecessarily steep as well.
But by meeting his past head on in a room full of media members eager for soundbites during the quietest period of the offseason, Bridges and Gregory handled the moment as well as they could have.
Now let's focus on the basketball and how Bridges can help this roster to win. He's already got increased competition for minutes in Phoenix.
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