Miles Bridges is far from untouchable in trade talks, although he has given the Charlotte Hornets plenty of reason to hold onto him this summer. However, they might have an incentive to offer him to other squads in need of frontcourt help because of his team-friendly contract.
Last year, Bridges re-signed with the Hornets, which some fans were not ecstatic about. In addition to his off-court issues earning the ire of a lot of folks, there was a belief that he was not worth the three-year, $75 million deal he had agreed to.
What has flown under the radar, though, is that the veteran has a descending contract. His salary for the 2024-25 season is $27.1 million, while he is set to bag $25 million next year and $22.8 million the following campaign before he becomes an unrestricted free agent. With the cap space expected to keep growing, his salary would further look like a steal, especially considering what he brings to the floor.
Other organizations could probably be interested in acquiring Bridges — if they are willing to look past the controversies — and the Hornets have to be open to such discussions. They could also opt to start shopping him around, but only for the right price, because he has proven to be somewhat indispensable to Charlotte.
Miles Bridges was arguably the best Hornet of 2024-25
Because of injuries and the organization's having no choice but to field a revolving door of two-way and 10-day contract players, Bridges had to continue being the No. 1 option on offense on a significant chunk of the nights he suited up. He registered his third straight season of averaging more than 20 points per game, although his efficiency took a major hit this past year. Still, without him, the Hornets' offense probably would have been more unwatchable.
The good news is that the 26-year-old forward seems willing to take a back seat to his teammates and serve as a glue guy if needed. He has shown to be capable of being an all-around player, putting up decent rebound and assist numbers, both of which could receive a boost if his teammates take over the responsibility of getting buckets.
Where Bridges should aim to improve are his defense and leadership. He certainly has the tools to be a better defender. But again, only in the right lineup would he be able to focus more on that end of the floor. As for being a leader, he has already shown that he can step up to the plate. As the longest-tenured Hornet, he should naturally take on the challenge.
Due to the nature of Bridges' salary and his contributions on and off the court, it wouldn't be surprising to see some contenders poke around and check his availability and value in the trade market. However, those are also the reasons Charlotte might be better off keeping him in the Hive.