Miles Bridges has missed the entire 2022-23 NBA season after pleading no contest to a domestic violence charge last summer when he was about to enter free agency.
Bridges was reinstated by the NBA this offseason, earning him a 30-game suspension, but counted 20 games as having already been served after sitting out last season, despite the gruesome details of the assault by his partner Mychelle Johnson. he ended up this offseason would be without him for the first 10 games of the upcoming season.
The Hornets extended the $7.9 million qualifying offer to keep him as a restricted free agent and as the first weekend of free agency progressed Bridges was not able to gain traction in long-term contract negotiations around the league. As such, he chose on Sunday to sign the qualifying offer to play next season in Charlotte and then become an unrestricted free agent in 2024.
ESPN Sources: Charlotte Hornets F restricted free agent Miles Bridges is set to sign a $7.9 million qualifying offer for the 2023-24 season, paving the way for him to go unrestricted next summer. Hornets and Bridges are far apart in expansion talks. Story soon. pic.twitter.com/1uf2uh3uxQ
— Adrien Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 2, 2023
Bridges was the Hornets’ second-best player in the 2021-22 season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game alongside LaMelo Ball, and without him last year , Charlotte struggled to replace this production. However, Bridges will have to answer many questions from teams about the changes he is making off the pitch if he is to get a contract in line with the productivity he is showing, as his game is a secondary concern when teams look to make a long-term investment in him as part of their franchise.