Miles Bridges Expected to Hit Trade Market: What Can Hornets Get for Veteran Forward?

Though the Charlotte Hornets haven't ever really said anything about it (and they have shut down LaMelo Ball trade rumors, for what it's worth) Miles Bridges has routinely been circulated in trade rumors.

Before the Hornets signed him to a three-year deal, he was on the market. At the trade deadline in 2025, he was reportedly available, but he didn't get moved. Bridges was again reportedly available over the summer and again at the 2026 deadline, but he didn't get moved.

So, it's not all that ridiculous to consider that he might be available this offseason. According to noted NBA insider Jake Fischer, though, it's not that he "might" be on the market. He most likely will be.

🎙️ @JakeLFischer: "Miles Bridges is another player that I think is going to be available on the trade market, as he kinda was already in February." pic.twitter.com/M4fQUPj1qh
— r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) June 9, 2026

Marc Stein doubled down on this himself, saying, "Charlotte is expected to make Miles Bridges available in trade talks in conjunction with the upcoming draft, league sources say, after essentially doing so at the February trade deadline."

He even noted that Bridges' trade market could be more robust now because his salary is lower for 2026-27 and he's now on an expiring contract. Plenty of teams could be interested in the big man, but why would the Hornets move him?

Bridges is the veteran in the room right now, and he was part of the best five-man lineup in the entire NBA last season. Those two things are not really a credit to Bridges, though. He's the leader by age, but not maturity at all.

And despite being in that ridiculously potent lineup, the Hornets were still better off when he sat. They got outscored by 5.9 points with him on the floor, which translates to 13 fewer wins across a full season.

The Hornets should want to move on, based on those two things alone, but also the fact that they need upgrades in the frontcourt and have two first-round draft picks with precious few roster spots available. The real question is, what could Charlotte get for Bridges?

It is almost impossible to tell what players are worth these days. Desmond Bane got three first-round picks and a pick swap without ever even making an All-Star team. Bridges is no Bane, but value can be derived from the team a player is going to more so than the player himself.

Bane, for example, was seen as the key, missing piece for the Orlando Magic. Bridges isn't, but he could be important to some team. However, he's never going to reach that Bane level because he's not as good defensively, nor does he have the shooting stroke Bane does.

With all that said, it's hard to envision Bridges fetching a nice package in return. He's a one-year rental at this point, which doesn't usually help the value so much as it influences the likelihood of a deal. He's not terribly expensive salary-wise, but he's also not terribly great at basketball.

The most likely return is going to be a future first-round pick (think 2029 or beyond), salary-matching players also on expiring contracts, and maybe a future second-round pick if the Hornets are lucky.

Still, for the dead weight in the lineup and a player the Hornets should've moved on from years ago, that's not a bad return at all.

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