Roundtable: Should the Hornets Re-Sign Miles Bridges?
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The Charlotte Hornets have a lot of important decisions to make this offseason, including what to do with restricted free agent Miles Bridges. The Hornets leading scorer and rebounder from the 2021-22 season sat out the entire 2022-23 season after facing domestic violence charges and the NBA doing its own investigation on the matter.
In April, the NBA announced that Bridges would serve a 30-game suspension but counted 20 of those games as already being served due to not playing this past year, meaning Bridges will sit out just the first ten games of the 2023-24 season.
So, should the Hornets re-sign the 25-year-old forward? Here is what our staff thinks.
Schuyler Callihan
From a basketball standpoint, yes. His absence clearly impacted the Hornets a year ago and his return would certainly help the organization's chances of returning to postseason action. When you throw in the whole reason why we are even having this discussion, no. What happened off the court is irreversible and inexcusable. I do believe people should get second chances (in most instances) but I think a fresh start is the best option for both parties involved.
Austin Leake
I believe the Hornets should re-sign Miles Bridges. He was a vital piece of the Hornets a year ago and it appears everything regarding the situation has been settled. LaMelo and Miles were really good friends and if the Hornets don’t re-sign Bridges then I’m sure that would make LaMelo question how much the Hornets actually want to win.
Nicholas Mullick
If I were Mitch Kupchak, I would not re-sign Bridges. However, I think it's a matter of when they do, not if they do at this point. The team is still close with him and in a league where you need three players to succeed, the Hornets need something around LaMelo. If he comes back and plays to the level he was at then that's great, but look at how rusty Deshaun Watson was when he came back with the Cleveland Browns. I absolutely believe that Bridges will be rusty.
Desmond Johnson
Yes. The man made a mistake. A huge one. He's served his punishment. He's missed a year in his prime in his profession. His significant other seems to be trying to work things out. I don't think Miles should be robbed of his job because of one error. He should get another shot and will with the Hornets. In fact, I'm feeling that the Hornets will draft Scoot because Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges basically play the same spot. Bring him back with parameters. Counseling. Clear ramifications if something happens in the future. People love redemption stories.
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