The Hornets are expected to make forward Miles Bridges available in trade discussions in conjunction with this month’s draft, report Jake Fischer and Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
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A 2018 lottery pick who has spent his entire NBA career in Charlotte, Bridges averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists in 31.0 minutes per game in 2025/26, registering a .460/.333/.822 shooting line over the course of 77 regular season contests (all starts).
The 28-year-old signed for three years and $75MM with the Hornets in 2024 and will be entering the final year of that contract in 2026/27. Because the deal has a descending structure, Bridges’ cap hit for the coming season will be just $22.8MM. That relatively manageable figure and the fact that he’s on an expiring contract could help expand his trade market this offseason, Fischer and Stein note.
Bridges was reported in January to be drawing legitimate trade interest from a handful of potential suitors, including Milwaukee, Phoenix, and Golden State. Detroit was also linked to the veteran forward.
However, Charlotte was said to be seeking at least one first-round pick in return for Bridges and it’s unclear whether any team would have been willing to meet that price. The Hornets reportedly had some talks with the Bucks about a possible deal involving Bobby Portis, but they ultimately stood pat, hanging onto Bridges through February’s trade deadline.
While Bridges has proven to be a durable, versatile option on the wing, he’s not an elite defender or a reliable three-point shooter, having converted at least 35.0% of his outside shots just once in his seven years in the league. Potential trade partners will also need to consider his off-court history — the former Michigan State standout lost a full season in 2022/23 after he was arrested on felony domestic violence charges just ahead of his restricted free agency. He later accepted a plea deal in that case and had three criminal counts related to separate domestic allegations dismissed.
The Hornets, who finished the regular season on a 33-15 run before being eliminated in the play-in tournament, will be seeking upgrades around their core of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel this summer as they look to take another step toward contention.
The Hornets have made great strides, and they’re a fun team to watch, but as long as they think LaMelo is part of a core, they’re never going anywhere.
Hornets have a good starting lineup, their players are all in the prime of their career and have two middle first round picks. Therefore, the Hornets should just ‘stay the course’ and not make any major trades. Keep the team intact, add a good sub or two and draft well.
He should be in the jail block