For years, a significant chunk of the Charlotte Hornets faithful has called on the team to end its partnership with Miles Bridges, and the clamor is only growing louder. With how its rebuild has developed, the time may already be ripe for the Hornets to listen to the suggestion.
To be clear, it should not be seen as an indictment of Bridges. He has undoubtedly been a trooper in the previous seasons, holding down the fort whenever his star teammates are not healthy to suit up.
The veteran averaging over 20 points per game for the fourth straight season proves he is capable of providing any squad a needed scoring punch. The caveat is that his field-goal percentage has dipped every year during that stretch, and if he cannot raise his 42.0 percent shooting by at least 0.4 percent at the end of the campaign, that would mark the worst of his career.
On the bright side, Bridges has worked on his 3-point marksmanship after connecting on just 31.3 percent of his 3-pointers last season. He has also handled some playmaking duties for the Hornets this year, dishing out 3.9 assists per contest.
Miles Bridges may have already worn out his welcome in Charlotte
Despite being a key contributor for the Hornets, the Michigan native does not seem to be an ideal fit with them anymore. Based on what we have seen from him, he looks better-suited as a small forward and not as a starting power forward.
Sure, he can still compete for a spot in the starting lineup. However, with Kon Knueppel already emerging as a potential franchise cornerstone and Brandon Miller displaying perennial All-Star capabilities, the best role he can fill in Charlotte is as the second unit's top offensive option. Is Bridges prepared to play the part, though? Is Charles Lee willing to sit down and have a possibly uncomfortable discussion with the currently longest-tenured Hornet?
Bridges might not be amenable to such a change, considering that he has typically acted as the No. 1 option on offense in the Hornets' recent losses. There have been plenty of possessions where he tries to play hero-ball instead of rightfully deferring to Knueppel, something that has not sat well with many fans.
As such, Charlotte's most logical move would be to ship Bridges to a team that needs a player of his skill set and find a starting power forward, preferably someone taller and who fits more seamlessly with the core players. Naturally, that is easier said than done, as it is unclear what his value is at the moment.
The good news is that the Hornets don't have to rush to a decision — it's not as if they are competing for a playoff spot given how their season has progressed to this point. They have the luxury of waiting until, probably, the trade deadline to seek the best possible package for Bridges.