The Charlotte Hornets appeared to be a franchise on the rise. They won 43 games, and they had an impressive young core led by All-Star playmaker LaMelo Ball and burgeoning wing scorer Miles Bridges. However, Bridges was involved in serious controversy after he allegedly assaulted his then-girlfriend. Bridges' NBA future then became shrouded in considerable doubt after he received charges of felony domestic violence as well as felony child abuse.
Instead of receiving a handsome paycheck following his foray into restricted free agency, Bridges remains unsigned. Even after Bridges got off relatively scot-free by receiving three years of probation instead of jail time, it appears like no team would dare touch the 24-year old forward with a ten-foot pole. But whether that holds up remains to be seen.
However, it seems like the Hornets are leaving the door open for a potential reunion once that investigation reaches its conclusion. Speaking with reporters after the 2023 NBA trade deadline, Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak gave his insight regarding the Hornets' plans with the controversial forward.
“Miles pleaded (no contest) in October…the NBA is conducting an investigation… I don't know when the investigation is going to end. When it ends we'll have more information and go from there,” Kupchak said, per Nick Carboni of WCNC Charlotte.
That is not a concrete no, which tracks with previous reports that state that the Hornets remain interested in bringing back Miles Bridges despite his wrongdoings off the court. There are even rumors that state that they still view him as a “core piece”, for what it's worth.
It's clear that Bridges' absence affected the Hornets in a huge way. They have become one of the worst teams in the NBA without him in town. And with his talent, it's clear why there might be some teams that will be willing to overlook his transgressions. It's not too often that a 20-plus points per game scorer is available for a discount price.
Now, that should spawn another discussion entirely about how the NBA is failing to deal with domestic violence in a proper manner. Alas, we still may have not seen the last of Miles Bridges in an NBA court just yet.
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