A report published two days before Christmas last month indicated that the Hornets and forward Miles Bridges were discussing a possible contract and were, “gathering traction,” in their negotiations. However, the Hornets deny that they’re in talks with the restricted free agent, according to Paige Masten of The Charlotte Observer.
“We have not been engaged in contract negotiations with Miles Bridges,” the Hornets told Masten in a statement.
Bridges was on track to be one of the top free agents in the class of 2022, but was arrested and charged with felony domestic abuse just days before his rookie contract expired, casting doubt on his NBA future. He was accused of assaulting his then-girlfriend in front of their two children.
Bridges ultimately worked out a plea deal with prosecutors in Los Angeles County, agreeing to plead no contest to one charge of felony domestic violence while two child abuse counts were dismissed. The 24-year-old avoided jail time by accepting three years of probation. He was ordered to attend a year’s worth of domestic violence counseling sessions and parenting classes in addition to completing 100 hours of community service.
Given the details of Bridges’ case, the Hornets are sure to face criticism if they bring back the forward, who may face a lengthy suspension from the NBA before he’s allowed to play. With that in mind, it’s hard to know with any certainty how genuine their statement is.
It’s notable that the Hornets didn’t rush to dispute Adrian Wojnarowski’s report about their alleged talks with Bridges when it was published in December. It’s also worth noting that the Hornets said they, “have not been engaged,” in discussions with Bridges, rather than simply stating they “have not engaged” in negotiations with him — there may be some semantics at play there, with the team indicating that the talks haven’t been ongoing.
According to Masten, the Hornets declined to comment when asked if they’ve ruled out the possibility of bringing back Bridges.
Based on Woj’s report last month and the fact that the Hornets haven’t made a clear effort to distance themselves from Bridges, I suspect he’ll be back under contract with Charlotte at some point. Still, the team’s statement to Masten suggests it might yet be a while before it happens.
