The Charlotte Hornets made a couple of big moves recently. They sent LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves and shipped Miles Bridges to the Phoenix Suns. On paper, those deals give Charlotte more financial breathing room and some future draft capital, even if it means taking a step back in talent right now.
But here’s where it gets messy. The Suns still can’t officially finalize their end of the Bridges trade. Or the Luke Kennard signing, for that matter. According to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 FM Phoenix, the hold-up is timing — not drama.
“The Miles Bridges trade and Luke Kennard signing are expected to be completed early next week,” Gambadoro posted on X. “The initial trade with Charlotte, Minnesota and Brooklyn should be done this weekend. Phoenix can’t complete their transaction until that trade is completed. There is no risk of it falling apart, just timing.”
So the Suns are basically waiting on the other dominos to fall before they can push their own through. It’s not a crisis, but it’s a reminder that these multi-team deals can be a logistical headache.
What’s Actually Holding It Up
The Ball trade was initially expected to wrap up as early as Thursday, but it hit some complications. Turns out the Timberwolves’ separate deal — sending Julius Randle to the Chicago Bulls in a trade that also looped in the Brooklyn Nets — became part of the larger puzzle. That’s three teams, multiple pieces, and a lot of paperwork to sort through.
For the Suns, the hold-up is frustrating but not alarming. They signed Kennard in free agency last week specifically to replace some of the shooting they lost when Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale went to Charlotte. Kennard’s a career 43.9 percent three-point shooter, so it makes sense. Phoenix needs that floor spacing around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant.
Minnesota, meanwhile, is betting on Ball to be a real playmaker at point guard. The idea is that his vision and passing will let Anthony Edwards focus more on scoring and less on running the offense. If it clicks, Edwards could take another leap in efficiency.
As for the Hornets, they’re looking ahead. They’ve got a young core built around Kon Knueppel, and they finished last season strong enough to sneak into the play-in tournament. That’s not nothing for a team that was in the lottery not long ago.
So yeah, the Suns are sitting tight for now. But once the Timberwolves and Bulls and Nets sort their business out, Phoenix should be ready to go.
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