The Charlotte Hornets tipped over the first domino of their impending fire sale after they traded Terry Rozier to the Miami Heat in exchange for Kyle Lowry and a 2027 lottery-protected 1st round pick that can turn into an unprotected 1st in 2028. Charlotte reportedly intends to collect future assets and young players ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline as it looks towards building its roster around franchise star LaMelo Ball and 2023 No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller. With the Hornets looking to sell within the next couple of weeks, Miles Bridges emerged as a popular trade target among several teams.
Bridges made his NBA return this season after sitting out the entire 2022-23 campaign due to his off-court issues. He was recently sentenced to three years probation without jail time after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence charges. Teams looking to trade for Bridges will remain wary of his off-court problems, not to mention his contract situation. Bridges opted to sign the qualifying offer from the Hornets after both sides failed to agree on a contract extension. As a result, the lefty will become an unrestricted free agent this summer, which makes him a risky trade candidate in case he walks in the offseason.
But despite this, it's hard to ignore the fact that he remains a productive and effective player on the court. Bridges has continued to play at a high level upon his return to the NBA. He is averaging 20.9 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists on 46.0 percent field goal shooting. In turn, his play has sparked interest among other teams looking to make wing upgrades at the trade deadline.
With that said, here are the best potential landing spots for Miles Bridges ahead of the 2024 NBA Trade Deadline.
Phoenix Suns
Shortly after the Terry Rozier trade went down, the Phoenix Suns' interest in acquiring Miles Bridges instantly emerged. Because he signed the qualifying offer, Bridges is earning just $7.9 million this season, which makes him an attainable target for the Suns, salary-wise. However, Phoenix may not have the assets the Hornets desire in a trade for Bridges. The Suns have pretty much emptied their cupboard of draft picks and only have five second-round picks to trade.
The Suns need whatever depth they can get around their Big Three of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal. Bridges should be a solid secondary wing to pair with Durant in the front court. Offensively, he should provide the Suns another decent scorer who can cut and finish at the basket. He is also a decent floor spacer who is knocking down 40.2 percent of his catch-and-shoot threes this season.
Defensively is where the Suns will need Bridges to step up. Bridges has the tools to be a great wing defender in the NBA. He is 6-foot-7 with a 6-foot-9 wingspan. However, he just hasn't been that good in that department and a lot of it has to do with his willingness and effort on that end of the floor. He is decent in man coverage, and has shown solid activity when defending on the ball. But he has a tendency to lose his man off the ball. Perhaps being in a new environment like Phoenix and playing under a defensive-minded coach like Frank Vogel could unlock him on that end of the floor.
Detroit Pistons
If the Detroit Pistons are serious about surrounding as much talent as possible around Cade Cunningham, they could target Miles Bridges in a trade with the Charlotte Hornets. Bridges is still just 25 years old, so he still fits within their timeline.
He would be a good piece to pair alongside Cunningham as a big wing who can finish at the rim, provide athleticism, and knock down the three at a league-average rate. On the season, he is connecting on a decent 35.6 percent from beyond the arc. Moreover, the hometown ties are there for Bridges. The lefty was born and raised in Flint, Michigan and went to Michigan State for college. As such, there is a good chance he sticks around after this season. The Pistons have the space to give him a big deal this summer.
Detroit could send over a draft pick and a young player (e.g. James Wiseman or Killian Hayes) who could be good projects for Charlotte to develop. Those two are just 22 years old, so Charlotte could still take a chance on the former lottery picks.
The Pistons are in the midst of a historically bad season, which is far off from their expectations heading into the campaign. With Cunningham returning from a 12-game season last year, the Pistons expected to take the next step and become at the very least, a competitive team in the Eastern Conference. Instead, they set the record for the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history. They also tied the record for the longest losing streak ever at 28 games.
With how bad their season has gone, the Pistons are just looking to get better ahead of the 2024-25 season. Adding a multi-faceted wing like Bridges should improve their outlook next year, if they are able to re-sign him.
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