The Phoenix Suns have an impressive young core. We saw what they were capable of during the 2020 Orlando Bubble when they fell just short of an NBA postseason berth but went undefeated in their eight games played.
That core was taken to the next level with the acquisition of Chris Paul. Paul helped lead the team to the NBA Finals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in six games.
Looking to repeat that success, the team retained a majority of their free agents this summer. They will be bringing the band back, but there are still decisions looming as the team will have to begin extending some of their young core.
A lot of attention has been given to Deandre Ayton, who had contract talks stall recently as the team is hesitant to give him a max extension. He is not the only player contract talks are not going well with, as Mikal Bridges also saw his extension discussions stalled.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Why Contract Talks For Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton Have Stalled
Adrian Wojnarowski recently spoke about the situation between the Suns and Bridges. Talks are not there yet, but should he reach restricted free agency, he would likely break the bank.
“Mikal Bridges is an important young player on this Suns’ team, really one of the best overall young players on that Suns team. And again, they’ve had talks with Phoenix, they’re not there yet on an extension… If he has to go into restricted free agency, I think people see him as a $20 million a year plus player.”
$20 million is a lot of money, but Bridges has shown that he is a two-way difference-maker. He is an excellent complementary piece offensively, as he is efficient with the opportunities he is given. It would not be a surprise if he eventually entered the illustrious 50/40/90 club at some point in his career.
LATEST NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Why Contract Talks For Phoenix Suns’ Deandre Ayton Have Stalled
The Villanova product is an excellent defender, using his length to disrupt opponents all over the court. Arguably the most important thing when it comes to Bridges is that he is durable. He has yet to miss a game in his career (knock on wood), so you can count on him being out there every night.
The Suns would be taking a big risk allowing Bridges to enter restricted free agency next offseason as he would be quite a popular free-agent target for teams.
