The Phoenix Suns began an organizational makeover when they traded Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson for Kevin Durant at last year's deadline. The team continued that revamp following a second-round loss to the eventual champion Denver Nuggets by firing head coach Monty Williams.
Williams was reunited with Bridges and Johnson, who played under him from 2019 to 2023, Saturday during the Detroit Pistons' 126-115 loss to the Brooklyn Nets. The new Pistons head coach opened up the duo's Phoenix departure before their first meeting since the blockbuster trade.
“It’s well-documented how I feel about those two guys,” Monty Williams said. “It was a pretty emotional trade for me to let those guys go because of the time invested, the growth, and where we thought that they could go as players. I’ve watched a lot of their games here. I still text and talk to those guys. They both have come back to Phoenix and they run into my family and my family will send me a picture of them, one of Cam or Mikal.
“We’ll be tied at the hip for a long, long time. They’re family. I always wanna see those guys do well, except tonight.”
The new Brooklyn pairing, coined “The Twins” during their Suns days, emerged as fan favorites in Phoenix due to their hard-nosed defense and three-point shooting alongside Devin Booker and Chris Paul.
Bridges averaged 13.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals on 51/39/86 shooting splits under Monty Williams. Johnson posted 10.7 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists on 39.6 percent shooting from three on 5.5 attempts per game.
Mikal Bridges could be an All-Star this season
The former has since emerged as an All-Star candidate while stepping into a lead role with the Nets, averaging 23.8 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists on 47/37/88 shooting splits over 56 appearances. When asked about Bridges' breakout with the Nets, Williams said he saw the former lottery pick's potential as a lead option with Devin Booker injured early last season.
“We would put the ball in his hands at end-of-game situations, and he showed growth from the early part of that season until we traded him,” the coach said. “You just started to see this guy that was not afraid of those moments. He grew as far as making reads and while guarding the best defender for about 40 minutes a night. That was something that was impressive, that he could do it on both ends of the floor.
“I’m sure he’d tell you that Chris Paul was a big part of his development, understanding how to play in that role. From my standpoint, I just wanted to provide an environment where he could grow and get better. I think that’s my job as a coach. You can’t force growth, but you can create an environment [where] as players grow, it’s healthy, and it allows for them to grow at a good rate and it’s sustained growth and he’s probably a flagship for me as far as player development.”
Unfortunately for Williams, Bridges posted 29 points and seven assists on 9-of-17 shooting Saturday to hand Detroit its 26th straight loss, trying the NBA's single-season record. Johnson chipped in with 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting.
The pairing will also have an opportunity to hand their former coach a record-setting 27th consecutive loss when the Nets travel to face the Pistons on Wednesday. Despite this, Johnson said he believes Williams – who signed a record-breaking six-year, $78.5 million contract this summer – can get Detroit back on track given his success developing players in Phoenix.
“It's sometimes a matter of staying the course and having that belief,” Johnson said of Detroit's losing streak. “I loved playing for Coach Mont. Four years of it, you grow close over that time and you learn a lot about the game. I learned a lot from him, a whole lot from him. So he was huge in my development as a player.
“I know what he's capable of on that end, and they got so much young talent that if they believe, they can really be a good, solid team.”
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