Former Phoenix Suns’ teammates Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and Cameron Payne shared a nostalgic moment for Suns’ fans to see.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Bridges and Johnson, now on the Nets, and Payne, now on the Bucks, were all smiles to see each other before today’s matchup between the two teams.
Old faces, new places pic.twitter.com/gJ0jHQkAd4
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) November 7, 2023
During today’s matchup, Payne had 11 points and three assists in Milwaukee’s 129-125 victory. Bridges had a monster game for the Nets finishing with 31 points, five rebounds and four assists. Johnson did not play due to a calf strain.
Remembering the Trio’s Time on the Suns
Phoenix sent Bridges and Johnson to the Nets in the Kevin Durant trade back in February after very memorable careers with the Suns.
The Suns acquired Bridges on a draft night trade with the Philadelphia 76ers back in 2019 after Bridges was drafted 10th overall.
In his time with Phoenix, the fan-favorite played all 365 games he was available for across four and a half seasons. He averaged 12.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals. He was also named to the 2021-22 NBA All-Defensive Team.
Phoenix also acquired Johnson on a draft night trade back in 2019, and he was drafted 11th overall. They made the trade before the selection rather than after he was picked, the opposite of Bridges.
In 200 games for the Suns, the three-point sniper averaged 10.7 points and 3.6 rebounds. Bridges and Johnson got their nickname as “The Twins” dating back to their similar ways of landing in Phoenix.
As for Payne, the Suns took a chance on him in the bubble in 2020, and he helped them go undefeated in Orlando. It turned into three more very productive seasons in the Valley.
In total, Payne played 174 regular season games and 42 playoff games for the Suns. He averaged 9.8 points and 4.2 assists in just over 20 minutes per game in the regular season.
All three were instrumental in the Suns’ run to the 2021 NBA Finals and were known for their infectious energy.
Cameron Payne and Mikal Bridges were vibin 😂 pic.twitter.com/5mtDEZGmju
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 1, 2021
The three had a great relationship back in Phoenix, and it is cool to see them continuing it.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
