The Charlotte Hornets are buying back into the Miles Bridges business and all that comes with it.
On Saturday, Bridges agreed to a three-year, $75 million contract to stay with the Hornets, per multiple reports. The deal does not include a player or team option, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Bridges is a talent. No doubt. The 26-year-old averaged 21 points (on 46/35/83 shooting splits), 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 37.4 minutes over 69 games for the Charlotte Hornets this past season.
Of course, he missed the first 10 games of the season, plus the entire 2022-23 campaign, for pleading no contest to a brutal felony domestic violence charge. Upon his return to the NBA, he allegedly violated a resulting protective order, though that charge was dropped this past February for insufficient evidence.
In a re-introductory news conference this past season, Bridges said of the allegations, “I can’t control what comes out about me,” and suggested his on-court effort would sway public opinion in his favor.
“I know a lot of people feel a [certain] way about me being back, and I understand that,” said Bridges. “And like I said before: I have to gain their trust back, so I’m just going out there and looking to play. I feel like if I can get us some more wins, I feel like people’s perspective will change a little bit on me.”
Bridges was in line for a nine-figure contract when news of his initial arrest on domestic violence charges broke on the eve of 2022 NBA free agency. He played this past season on a $7.9 million qualifying offer.
The Hornets drafted Bridges 12th in 2018. In his five seasons on the roster, Charlotte has a 159-224 record, missing the playoffs each year. The Hornets, who finished 21-61 this past season, were 3.3 points per 100 meaningful possessions worse when Bridges was on the floor, according to Cleaning the Glass.
The Hornets selected a potential replacement for Bridges, French wing Tidjane Salaün, with the sixth pick in the first round of this year’s draft. He will be paired with a promising young core, including recent lottery picks LaMelo Ball, Mark Williams and Brandon Miller. The Hornets selected Miller second in last year’s draft, despite allegations that he delivered a gun to a fatal shooting incident while a freshman at Alabama.
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