Is Miles Bridges still a part of the Hornets' future?

Miles Bridges was part of the Charlotte Hornets' future plans when they signed him to a three-year, $75 million deal during the offseason. The idea was that a healthy LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams, plus a year-two Brandon Miller, would be enough to compete in the East, and keeping Bridges only solidified that.

That hasn't panned out. Miller is out for the year. Ball and Williams both missed chunks of time, and Williams has now been traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Does that mean that Bridges' future is now uncertain?

Theoretically, if Williams wasn't untouchable, then neither is Bridges. He's older and less impactful than Williams. He's also a lot more expensive. However, the Williams trade might actually signal that Bridges is still part of the future plans.

Charles Lee has spoken highly of Bridges, and he's had to carry the load with Ball and Miller currently sidelined. It hasn't led to wins, but a trade of Bridges now would utterly deplete the lineup unless it involved another player of similar caliber in return.

Feb 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) stops to shoot against Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis (9) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

It would make a lot of sense to move on. If Williams wasn't part of the plan, then why would Bridges be? Sometimes, it's not as simple as that, though. Bridges would be harder to move since he's older and more costly, and probably not even a better overall player than Williams.

Trading Bridges would possibly bring in another first-round pick, and that would be very valuable. It would give the Hornets a ton of future draft capital, but at what cost? It might harm LaMelo Ball's opinion of the team since he and Bridges are very close. It would also ensure that the 2024-25 team is not competitive at all, even when Ball gets back.

The Hornets were probably going to make one big trade this year, and they've done it. Bridges is probably safe through the deadline, though the Williams trade was a stunner and unexpected, so nothing is ruled out.

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