The NBA Finals matchup isn't set yet, but with the Knicks punching their ticket after sweeping the Cavaliers, we know there are a couple of former Phoenix Suns players competing for their first championship. It will be cool to see Mikal Bridges back in the finals again, and for Landry Shamet to be there with him, but it will also sting, too.
Phoenix traded Bridges to Brooklyn in the package for Kevin Durant in 2023, and sent Shamet to Washington later that year in the Bradley Beal deal. Neither KD nor Beal is still around, though the Suns are still paying the latter, and will continue to do so for the next couple of seasons.
They have nothing to show for mortgaging their future for Durant and Beal, other than disappointment and frustration. Phoenix would love to have the picks back that it gave up, of course, but it'd be especially nice if Bridges were still around. And to have Shamet's shooting.
Mikal Bridges and Landry Shamet are shining for the Knicks
Bridges averaged 14.5 points and 1.1 steals per game in the first three rounds, shooting 58.6% from the field. Specifically in the semifinals and conference finals, he was aggressive driving to the rim and dominated in the paint. Of course, he did so all while taking on tough assignments on the defensive end, using his length to disrupt offenses.
New York was clowned for sending five first-round picks to Brooklyn for Bridges in 2024, but it doesn't look so silly now, does it? It didn't last year in the playoffs, either, when he was a key part of the Knicks advancing past the Celtics in the second round. He's on another level right now, though.
So is Shamet, who shot 11-of-12 from three in the conference finals. He came up huge in Game 1, when New York was down by 22 points with less than eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. He hit a few big threes to help the Knicks seal their comeback as they went on to win by 11 in overtime.
Losing Bridges and Shamet in failed trades still stings
Phoenix had about as good a season as possible after trading Durant last summer, and waiving and stretching Beal. It rekindled the hope that fans had lost in the years before, giving them something to look forward to.
The Suns are in a better position than most thought was possible, but they're still feeling the effects of the KD and Beal trades. That will continue to be the case, especially if Bridges and Shamet help lead the Knicks to their first title since 1973. Yes, it's been that long.
To think that Phoenix gave up Bridges and Shamet in trades that it thought would help it win a championship, only for both to link up again in New York to help the Knicks do what once seemed unthinkable.
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