CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has decided he won't approve any trade proposals and will stay with the Hornets through the rest of the season, according to a report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst, citing a conversation with agent Rich Paul.
Bridges was among several Hornets players on expiring contracts who were considered trade options. While he will remain in Charlotte, Gordon Hayward will not, as the veteran was reportedly traded to Oklahoma City for two players. Bridges' one-year, $8 million contract has a clause that gives him the power to veto any proposed trade.
This basically means that Bridges will come out ahead on his next contract because of what the NBA calls bird rights. The Hornets will keep those rights, meaning they can pay Bridges anything up to his max as a free agent this offseason. If Bridges had accepted a trade, his new team would've been limited to how much money they could pay him by the salary cap.
Bridges is in the midst of a career-best season, averaging 21.9 points per game. He's scored 40 points twice in the past week, including a career-best 45 points against the Raptors on Wednesday night. He was the fourth player in Charlotte history to log back-to-back 40-point games, joining Kemba Walker, Glen Rice and Terry Rozier, who was traded to Miami in January.
The Hornets can now re-sign Bridges to a long-term deal or work out a sign-and-trade with another team that allows Bridges to maximize his salary. The Phoenix Suns had reportedly shown interest in acquiring Bridges, but it's unclear how far those negotiations got.
Bridges' legal issues, including multiple arrests on domestic violence allegations, have hurt his career the last few years. He missed the entire 2022-23 season and the first 10 games of this season for his June 2022 arrest for felony domestic violence. He was arrested again in Lincoln County for violating a protection order.
He made his return to the NBA in November, playing his first game in over 580 days against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Locked On is the leading podcast network for local sports and is owned by WCNC Charlotte's parent company TEGNA.
Listen to Locked On here.
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.