‘Meh’ to ‘great’: Grading the 3 Hornets’ qualifying offers
By Adam Taylor
Hornets extend Miles Bridges a qualifying offer.
A potential return to the Hornets for Miles Bridges is certainly a move that will split the fanbase. After missing the entirety of last season due to legal issues surrounding domestic violence, Bridges is set to resume his NBA career in the upcoming season. For Charlotte, they have to decide whether the bad press associated with Bridges is worth the undoubted talent that he brings to their rotation.
Charlotte finished dead last in offensive rating last season. Bridges will bring rim pressure, playmaking, and a reliable off-bal threat both via the catch and the rip-through. Is the talent worth the trade-off, though? That will be a decision the Hornets’ front office needs to make, especially after selecting Brandon Miller in this year’s draft following his own legal issues last season.
From a strictly basketball standpoint, reuniting AirBnB in the backcourt would significantly boost the team’s overall chances of making a push for the postseason. LaMelo Ball and Bridges have a dynamic partnership that will only be strengthened by the addition of Miller. Unfortunately, Bridges’ tenure with the team isn’t just a basketball decision.
There’s no way to gauge what type of interest Bridges will have from around the league. During the 2021-22 season, Bridges played 80 games, averaging 20.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists while shooting 49.1% from the field and 33.1% from deep – those are encouraging numbers for a 25-year-old second option.
If Bridges is going to be returning to the NBA this year, it makes sense that Charlotte would rather he be suiting up for them than somebody else.
Grade: Risky, but makes sense!