Phoenix Suns: 5 offseason roster moves they need to make

Phoenix Suns offseason move No. 2: Extend Mikal Bridges

Mikal Bridges was taken with the tenth pick in the same draft where Ayton was the first pick. Bridges was originally selected by the Philadelphia 76ers before being a draft-night trade for Zhaire Smith and a first-round pick in the upcoming 2021 NBA draft.

Bridges has developed into a really good quality starter for the Suns. He is solid defensively but it has been his growth in efficiency this season that has been the biggest difference in his game. A big part of this has been that he has understood his place in the offense.

Bridges shot the ball at 54.3 percent from the floor. This number is especially impressive considering that he took 4.4 of his 9.3 shot attempts from beyond the arc, hitting them at a career-best 42.5 percent. He was so close to joining the rare 50/40/90 club this season, only missing out because he shot his free throws at 84.0 percent.

While he is important to the Suns’ game plan, the franchise cannot afford to pay the max, and nor should they. Bridges is a vital piece but not a max-type player. If they can extend him for as close to $10 million as they can get him, this will be beneficial for the franchise moving forward.