Mikal Bridges was a key part of the Phoenix Suns being able to break their playoff drought and make an NBA Finals run in 2020-21. Bridges showed that he’s a great shooter, as well as a stout defender over the course of the season.
It seems as though the Phoenix Suns have decided to reward Mikal Bridges for his contributions. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN has reported that Mikal Bridges has officially agreed to a $90 million extension with the Phoenix Suns while adding that all of the money is fully guaranteed.
Phoenix Suns G/F Mikal Bridges has agreed to a four-year, $90 million rookie contract extension, his agents Sam Goldfeder and Jordan Gertler of @Excelbasketball tell ESPN. Deal is fully guaranteed.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2021
Bridges has shown himself to be one of the most productive young, two-way players in the league, and gets a $22.5M a year deal that solidifies him long-term as one of the anchors of the defending Western Conference champions. https://t.co/3pjFhPN0Sc
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 17, 2021
There is no doubt that this was a necessary move for the Phoenix Suns, even if some people may view it as a lot of money for a rising player. As Adrian Wojnarowski mentions, Bridges was “one of the most productive young, two-way players in the league”. He averaged 13.5 PPG, while also shooting 42.5% from beyond the arc during the 2020-21 regular season, and it’s easy to see that he could get even better.
Of course, the Western Conference will get stronger next season, with Klay Thompson returning for the Golden State Warriors, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming better by adding Russell Westbrook. It remains to be seen if the Phoenix Suns will end up making the Finals again, but it definitely seems as though they believe in their core.
