76ers Trade No. 10 Pick Mikal Bridges To Phoenix Suns For No. 16 Pick
Jun 22, 2018, 12:00 AM | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 11:30 am
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 21: Mikal Bridges poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted tenth overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 21, 2018 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
(Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
It didn’t take long for the 76ers to relinquish the rights to Mikal Bridges, the No. 10 pick. He was sent to Phoenix in exchange for No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith. The Suns will also send a 2021 first-round pick, which originally belonged to the Miami Heat, to Philadelphia.
Smith is a 6-foot-5 defensive stalwart with a ton of athleticism. He averaged 11.3 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists with 1.1 blocks as a freshman for Texas Tech. He gives the 76ers another young wing to lean on that can defend multiple positions. They also snag a nice asset with the Heat’s 2021 first-round pick.
The Suns gained an experienced player in Bridges, who played for three years and won a pair of championships with Villanova. It looked like we’d have a heartwarming draft story with Bridges going to the 76ers where his mom is employed. Instead, he’ll head to the desert.
Phoenix adds Bridges to a nice draft haul so far that also includes No. 1 overall pick DeAndre Ayton.
