PHOENIX – Phoenix Suns general manager Brian Gregory opened a news conference to introduce newly acquired swingman Miles Bridges on Wednesday with a telling statement.
“Trust is not given,” Gregory said. “It’s earned.”
That is the edict under which Bridges will operate this season after the Suns acquired him, a 2029 first-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for guard Grayson Allen, forward Royce O’Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round draft pick.
“We’re excited about introducing Miles Bridges as the newest Phoenix Sun,” Gregory said. “A couple of things that were very, very important to us during this process is understanding where he fit in with our team – not only our current team, but also the future teams that we’ll have – and it was just a perfect fit for us.”
But Bridges arrives in the Valley with more than just an on-court resume.
His history of domestic violence and off-court behavior has sparked public and media criticism of the franchise. It raises questions about accountability, second chances and upholding team values. It also raises questions about owner Mat Ishbia’s commitment to building a team with what he termed “the right culture.”
“It’s mixed feelings about me being here, but I take full responsibility,” Bridges said in his opening statement. “I’ve been to counseling. I’ve been to therapy. And right now, I’m just prioritizing being better as a man every day, on and off the court, and just being a great father and earning the trust of this fan base and this community.”
In June of 2022, Bridges was arrested for alleged assault on his girlfriend at the time, and the mother of his children, but he was later released on bail.
About a month after the incident, Bridges was charged with three felonies; one of causing harm to a parent of a child, and two of child abuse.
He initially pleaded not guilty, but later that year changed his plea to no contest for the felony charge of injuring a child’s parent and was sentenced to three years probation with no jail time.
Along with probation, Bridges sat out the 2022-23 season and had to complete domestic violence counseling, parenting classes, and community service.
The NBA also handed him a 30-game suspension, but the league ruled that 20 of the 30 games had already been served so he sat out 10 games to start the 2023–24 season.
Bridges’ acquisition comes with a lot of media scrutiny and public backlash. Gregory said he knew he had to address the situation head-on.
“I wanted to make sure that I acknowledged those questions and the concerns surrounding Miles and his unacceptable conduct that has occurred in the past,” Gregory said. “Those questions are part of his story; he’s dealt with them before, and we’ll deal with them today as well.”
A big question of concern was not only how to gain the trust of the Suns’ fan base, but how that past will look when building relationships with his new teammates.
“I definitely want to earn the trust of my teammates first,” Bridges said. “Making the locker room comfortable, having guys that want to be around me, me being around the guys, it’s huge, and that definitely goes into the on-court stuff.”
Giving back to the Valley community is also on Bridges’ to-do list, continuing the charitable work that he started in Charlotte.
“I did a lot of things with kids in the past, like camps, Boys and Girls Club; I’ve helped out with that. You know, charity events, I’ve given money to them,” Bridges said. “Also helping out with the unfortunate, like the homeless, and just giving back.
“That’s stuff that I wanted to do. Even before the incident, I was doing those types of things, and that’s just something I love doing. So I’m excited to do that for this community as well.”
Bridges was asked if any of his charity work in the Valley would address domestic violence.
“I definitely want to still do that,” he said. “I’ve got my people on it, trying to get in contact with those types of organizations out here. I would love to help build and send any kind of charity money to them.”
When it comes to addressing the fans, Gregory understands the concern with the latest member of the team.
“We, as an organization and me personally, understand the concerns and respect the concerns of our fan base,” Gregory said. “Our job is to go through a thorough evaluation and come up with the decision. You know, his accountability, the remorse.
“You listen to him talk about the growth through the counseling and the therapy and so forth; those were critical factors in our evaluation as well.”
Despite Bridges’ past, Gregory believes that Bridges is the kind of person he wants in the organization.
“I know his family. I know the people around him. I know who he played for, but we talked to everyone,” Gregory said. “Talked to his former coaches at Charlotte. You talked to the equipment people at Charlotte.
“When you find a guy that treats everybody with respect and so forth, then you know what kind of person he is.”
Bridges knows what it’s like to win back the trust of fans. He hopes to do it again in Phoenix.
“I know I’m a good person, and from stuff that y’all seen, people would think the opposite. But I want to show everybody who I really am and earn respect here,” Bridges said. “I’ve been at rock bottom before, and I’ve had to work my way back up to where I am now.
“I wanna prove (the Suns) right every day with my actions off the court, on the court. I’m very excited and I’m thankful for this opportunity. And I think they’re going to be proud of me by the end of this.”
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