Miles Bridges arrested for felony domestic violence

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was arrested on domestic violence charges on Wednesday in Los Angeles, turning himself in after the events in question transpired on Tuesday. Reports are that Bridges and the victim had gotten into a verbal altercation that turned physical. By the time the police arrived at the scene, Bridges was gone. He later posted $130,000 bail and will appear in court on July 20th. The victim required medical attention in the aftermath of the incident. The safety and well-being of the victim is and should be the primary concern, although how this impacts Bridges and the Hornets is also worth discussing.

This all transpired just days before NBA free agency is set to begin on Thursday evening. Bridges, a restricted free agent, had been expected to be a sought-after asset on the market, although the Hornets had indicated that they planned to retain his services. Now, with no clarity on the situation, it is doubtful that Bridges will be offered the high-level contract he had been seeking. Unfortunately, this is the latest and most egregious in a string of incidents involving Bridges, beginning with his ejection during April’s play-in game against the Atlanta Hawks. As he walked through the tunnel to the locker room, Bridges launched his mouthpiece into the crowd, striking a young girl in attendance. Weeks later, Bridges posted a picture of himself holding what appeared to be lean, a recreational drug beverage consisting of promethazine and cough syrup. Now, with a third incident in as many months, Bridges has put himself in a perilous situation. His on-court production certainly warrants a hefty payday, as he led Charlotte in scoring a season ago while playing the most games and playing the most minutes per game. However, his recent off-court behavior should certainly give any front office tremendous pause in any contract offer.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time an NBA player has been involved in a domestic violence incident. DeMarcus Cousins, Rajon Rondo, Darren Collison, Jaxson Hayes, and Jeffery Taylor are some recent examples. The timing of Bridges’ situation makes it unique, as the Hornets front office now has mere hours to take their stance and decide on what course of action to take.

The Hornets’ public relations department released the following statement on Thursday morning.

Charlotte has already extended a qualifying offer to Bridges, but could revoke it, making him an unrestricted free agent. This would have financial benefit in future years and would also send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerate within the franchise. Another scenario would be Bridges’ restricted free agency lingering for the next several weeks as the legal repercussions are sorted out. By the time clarity is provided, teams will have likely made their free agency acquisitions and will have moved on from any potential Bridges deal. Whether or not Charlotte believes his talent outweighs the off-court behavior is a decision that only Michael Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, and the powers that be can make.