PHOENIX — Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale returned to Phoenix on Thursday for the first time since the Suns traded them to the Charlotte Hornets, and both said the move caught them off guard, Arizona Sports reported.
Asked whether he was surprised, Allen said, “Very, yeah.” O’Neale agreed. “But hey, if that’s what they feel makes them better, it’s a business at the end of the day,” he said. “Grateful for the time and thankful for the time that I was here.”
The two wings were sent to Charlotte in the trade that brought Miles Bridges to Phoenix. Both had two years left on their contracts and were key veterans on last season’s 45-win team under coach Jordan Ott.
It was the fourth time Allen has been traded and the third for O’Neale. Allen had spoken about wanting to finish his career in Phoenix.
“This is, three years here was the longest I’ve been in one place, so I feel like I have a lot of connection here,” Allen said.
The Suns won the game 101-96 behind Devin Booker’s late step-back 3. Phoenix hosts the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday at 2 p.m. Arizona time.
Sources: Arizona Sports. Thee Arizona Times uses AI-assisted reporting reviewed against the sources listed.
Photo: Cltjames / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons.
