The Phoenix Suns are already short on reinforcements entering the 2026-27 season. In the team’s second preseason game, they faced another scare involving Miles Bridges.
Bridges, 28, exited the Suns’ preseason loss to the Chicago Bulls after rolling his ankle in the second quarter.
Don’t see him on the bench on the broadcast. He may have gone to the locker room to get it looked at/re-taped.
Luckily, both teammate Collin Gillespie and head coach Jordan Ott provided positive updates on the first-year Sun.
“He (Bridges) said he was fine when he came in here,” Gillespie told Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “I trust whatever he’s saying, and we also have other guys. Next man up mentality.”
“It was a freak play. Almost on a loose ball or something,” said head coach Jordan Ott following the preseason game. “Multiple people in there. Nothing we can control. Hopefully it’s not that bad. If he can go out the next night, I’m sure he’ll be out there.”
Suns Acquire Miles Bridges via Trade in Offseason
In the Charlotte Hornets’ pursuit to reset the roster under a Brandon Miller-led squad, the franchise traded Miles Bridges to the Suns in the offseason.
The deal included Phoenix receiving Miles Bridges, a 2029 first-round pick, and a 2027 second-round pick in exchange for Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and a 2033 first-round pick.
Bridges will enter the Phoenix Suns lineup as the replacement for Royce O’Neale at power forward. O’Neale started in 67 regular-season games at power forward for Phoenix in 2025-26.
Phoenix will look to rely on Bridges as a scoring threat alongside Devin Booker and Jalen Green. Bridges averaged 20 or more points for the Hornets from 2021 to 2025, while averaging 17.1 points across 77 games last season.
In his first preseason game with the Suns, Bridges finished with eight points, five rebounds, four assists, and a steal across 14 minutes in a 109-107 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 5.
Suns Add Miles Bridges to Key Injuries to Frontcourt
Phoenix hopes that Miles Bridges’ ankle injury won’t take a toll on his status for their regular-season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 21. If it does, he will add on to the front-court injures the Suns are already facing.
The Suns are already without center Mark Williams for the start of the regular season. Williams suffered a torn labrum during offseason workouts. The setback resulted in surgery to fix the issue, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Sept. 11.
Williams “will miss an extended period of time” Charania added. The Suns center signed a new three-year, $38 million contract in restricted free agency this offseason. He will not be available for the start of the 2026-27 season.
In Williams’ first year with the Suns in 2025-26, he averaged 11.7 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists across 60 games (55 starts).
With Mark Williams being absent for the start of the season, and Miles Bridges suffering a scare of his own, the Suns will seek better days ahead of the regular season.
Suns Provides Miles Bridges Injury Update After Scare