The Phoenix Suns should steer clear of Miles Bridges

The Phoenix Suns have won seven straight games, and have found form and health at the right time this season. Wednesday's win over the Dallas Mavericks showing they have the stomach for a championship run, with the victory also serving to help them leapfrog the Mavericks in the standings.

There is no doubt that the Suns are continuing to try and find ways to improve their roster ahead of the trade deadline as well. Players like Royce O'Neale of the Brooklyn Nets should rightly intrigue the front office, although the prospect of moving Grayson Allen - who is having a career season - is not one that should appeal to the organization right now.

No matter what the Suns do though, one player they should be steering well clear of is Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets.

If you are somehow unaware of what Bridges has done outside of basketball to warrant this sort of stance, then you can go elsewhere to fill yourself in. This is not a place where his personal life will be rehashed and the circumstances that led to the league banning him from competing brought up once again.

There is no doubt that Bridges the player - in a vacuum that does not take into account the kind of individual he appears to be - is very much the kind of complimentary piece that the Suns could use. Whether off the bench or as part of their starting unit. His ability to create his own shot offensively is a skill that contenders like the Suns cannot have enough of.

In two out of the last three seasons (Bridges didn't play in the third one), he has put up over 20 points per game. That is not an easy thing to do in the league, and as what would be the fourth option on this current Suns roster, the team would be an almost unstoppable offensive force. In truth this team has the potential to be that even without Bridges.

Which is exactly how they should be looking at this roster, as one without Bridges potentially a part of it. Suns fans have already gone on the record of voicing their displeasure at even being linked to the 25-year-old, going so far as to say they would stop supporting the team if he ended up in The Valley.

Which is exactly why the front office need to steer clear here. If the Hornets want to continue to employ him because the league are satisfied that he has spent the necessary time away from the game, then good for them . But owner Mat Ishbia has worked too hard to build the relationship between team and fans that was damaged by Robert Sarver to throw it away on Bridges.

If you look at this another way, if the Suns' season ends up being a failure and they add Bridges, then it will be blamed entirely on him joining the group. This might have been something the team could have survived when they were languishing in the 10th spot in the Western Conference not that long ago.

But this Suns roster is good and is coming together at a time when adding Bridges could be potentially detrimental. His talent has never been in question, but adding him - or any player for that matter - has the potential to disrupt team chemistry that has been building nicely since Bradley Beal returned from injury.

On the other hand, if the Suns go on to win a championship this season, won't it feel tainted if Bridges is part of the team that achieves the first title in franchise history? Many fans have already been clear in their feelings on this, and alienating them at a time when they could be about to go all the way for the sake of a player who would be their fourth option offensively seems a foolish thing to do.

On a more practical basis, it could also throw Allen out of his groove as well. Bridges is a more accomplished offensive player - but Allen has been the Suns' third best player this season with Beal out for so long. Disrupting his long-range shooting for this group, to add Bridges no less, is another risk this front office should steer clear of.

All in all then adding Miles Bridges makes no sense. A lot of fans won't like it - and if the team fail or else win it all, there will be negative aspects of Bridges being along for the ride - plus he would take minutes and maybe a starting spot from Allen. A player who deserves his chance after how he has played this season. There is no reason to go down this complicated and unnecessary road.