NBA Notes: Suns, Miles Bridges, Cavs, Meleek Thomas, Clippers, Bradley Beal

Suns

The Suns apparently didn’t acquire Miles Bridges with the idea of making him a short-term rental.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Phoenix intends to give Bridges both a significant role and, eventually, a new contract. The expectation, though, is that the sides will wait until later to work out an extension.

“Phoenix not only has an intent to pay him, but they have an intent to really give him a big role,” Windhorst said, via PHNX Suns.

Phoenix acquired Bridges from Charlotte in the offseason deal that sent Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale and an unprotected 2033 first-round pick to the Hornets. The Suns also received first- and second-round picks.

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report likewise expects Phoenix to eventually extend Bridges, who averaged 17.1 points last season.

So Bridges may be new to Phoenix, but all indications are that the Suns view him as more than a one-year experiment.

Cavaliers

Perhaps Meleek Thomas did more in Las Vegas than simply make a strong first impression.

Terry Pluto of Cleveland.com suggested Thomas’ Summer League performance may have helped make the Cavaliers more comfortable trading veteran point guard Dennis Schroder to Charlotte.

Thomas, a rookie guard, averaged 27 points in four Summer League appearances while shooting 43 percent from 3-point range. Although primarily a shooting guard in college, Cleveland allowed him to handle the ball and run the offense extensively in Las Vegas.

The Cavs subsequently dealt Schroder and cash to the Hornets for Tre Mann, saving roughly $6.8 million in salary in the process.

Thomas obviously has plenty to prove once the real games begin. But if Cleveland believes he can provide meaningful minutes immediately, carrying Schroder’s $14.8 million salary became considerably less necessary.

Clippers

The Clippers are getting younger and moving toward a rebuild. So naturally, they gave 33-year-old Bradley Beal a raise.

Cem Yolbulan of Clippers On SI questioned Los Angeles’ decision to re-sign Beal to a two-year, $13.2 million contract that includes a second-year player option. Frankly, it’s a fair question.

Beal declined a $5.6 million option after appearing in only six games last season before undergoing season-ending hip surgery. Instead of returning at that number, he landed a new contract worth an average of $6.6 million annually.

In other words, Beal played six games, underwent major surgery, opted out and got more money.

Maybe the Clippers believe a healthy Beal can rebuild his value and eventually become a trade asset. But for a franchise supposedly prioritizing youth and future flexibility, paying above the minimum for an injury-plagued veteran whose best days appear to be behind him is an interesting use of resources.

At the very least, the Clippers are betting Beal has considerably more left than he showed last season.