The Miles Bridges era is up and running for the Phoenix Suns. His introductary press conference taking place earlier this week, featuring a cameo by General Manager Brian Gregory.
It is too early to tell if Bridges will be a success in Phoenix, although giving up an unprotected first round pick for his services sure feels like a lot. Especially when a cheaper alternative has just come up.
Mario Hezonja would have been intriguing short-term solution
If you gave the average fan the choice of either trading that precious pick, Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale for Bridges, or else rolling the dice with former fifth overall pick Hezonja, you know the Croatian forward is getting some love.
Complicating matters is the fact both Allen and O'Neale had to go for salary cap and roster flexibility, but there is still a world in which both could have departed and actually netted the Suns a couple of second rounders at worst.
A nice return given the franchise's apparent desire to trade away picks at a time when they are starting to get real return on their selections. Hezonja next to Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green would get scored on mercilessly, but the former Orlando Magic lottery pick could also come off the bench.
That's not happening with Bridges when you consider how much the Suns gave up to acquire him, and what that would have also done was give Phoenix a cheaper alternative they could use for one season before deciding what to do next.
Those against a Hezonja move can point to one recent example of what it would not have worked out, and they've got a good point.
Nigel Hayes-Davis.
Another scoring forward brought to The Valley to much fanfare last season, he had zero impact and was traded by the deadline. Not only that, but he immediately bounced from the league altogether and found his way back to Europe. Hezonja has been gone for five years, why would he be any different?
Contrast that to Bridges, who has a complicated off court history but is also a proven commodity and capable of being a starter for the Suns. He also improves the chances of Devin Booker making it back to the playoffs again next season.
But at what cost? It is unclear how he will gel with his teammates while the immaculate vibes from last season were part of what made this group so fun to watch. Hezonja likely wasn't the answer, but the Suns never even got to have a conversation about it having already moved for Bridges.
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