Hornets to trade Miles Bridges to Phoenix Suns, turning page on another chapter
That Charlotte to Phoenix pipeline is still quite active.
Three days after agreeing to send LaMelo Ball to Minnesota, the Hornets are trading Miles Bridges along with a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick to the Suns, league sources confirmed to The Charlotte Observer on Sunday.
In return, the Hornets are receiving Duke product Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and a 2033 first-round pick. It’s the third trade between the two organizations in the past 16 months, which includes the acquisition of Jusuf Nurkic in February 2025 and sending Mark Williams to the desert on the first day of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Bridges was the longest-tenured member of the Hornets, having suited up for Charlotte since he was acquired in 2018 in exchange for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s scheduled to earn $22.8 million in 2026-27, which is the final season of a three-year, $75 million deal, and is eligible for an extension this summer.
In 501 career games with Charlotte, Bridges averaged 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists, proving to be one of the team’s most durable players.
But Bridges’ time in Charlotte also involved some off-the-court incidents, beginning with pleading no contest to felony domestic violence in an incident involving ex-partner Mychelle Johnson just before he was set to become a free agent in 2022.
In May, a judge in Mecklenburg County granted a temporary restraining order against Johnson, according to court records. That happened after Bridges’ attorney, Sean Lindsey, alleged in an April 8 emergency motion that Johnson booked a room at the Omni Hotel near the Spectrum Center before finding Bridges’ car and tampering with its tires while he was on court playing for the Hornets.
The former couple has been in litigation since at least 2018, according to court records.
Allen began his career in Utah and also had stints in Memphis and Milwaukee prior to landing with Phoenix in 2023 and playing for the Suns the past three seasons. He’s averaged 11.2 points, three rebounds and 2.2 assists in 454 career outings, shooting 40.3% from 3-point range. He’s set to pocket $18.1 million this season and also has another year on his deal before he’s scheduled to hit free agency in 2028.
O’Neale, known as a 3-and-D player, is a nine-year veteran forward who went undrafted and carved out a nice role for himself in the league. He also has two years remaining on his contract and is on tap to pocket $10.8 million in 2026-27.
