Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire Hornets’ Miles Bridges
With the trade deadline quickly approaching, teams are clamoring for reinforcements left and right.
Contenders are throwing everything they have in order to land more firepower. But on another front, teams amid rebuilds are trying to find future stars at a cheapened cost.
While it’s more than likely a deal that gets done in a alternate dimension, Oklahoma City should be taking a look at Charlotte’s Miles Bridges.
At first glance, Bridges is a lock for the Hornets.
A huge increase in production that could land him the Most Improved Award this season, Bridges will almost certainly be staying in Charlotte on a huge deal.
But there’s several factors at play for the Hornets.
Eerily similar to John Collins contract year, Bridges is riding the line between star and future superstar. He could see another jump, but he could plateau and maintain his current production for years to come.
Unfortunately for the Hornets, agents tend to lean the former, and the team could just decide that Bridges isn’t a max player.
Other factors include his fit, both on and off the court with fellow rising star LaMelo Ball.
Trevor Ruszkowski / USA TODAY Sports
At the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, Charlotte is having their best year in decades. The on-court fit isn’t currently an issue, but their ages and contracts could be just off enough to give the Hornets a little grief.
While Charlotte is having a solid season, management has to continue to look towards the future. Aligning stars with Ball and continuing to nab players through the draft is going to be Charlotte’s route to success, and Oklahoma City offer’s that path.
The only way a deal gets done is if Charlotte has its eye on someone in the upcoming draft, or values OKC rookie Josh Giddey.
OKC, one the other hand, would have to operate under the assumption that Bridges would re-sign on a longterm deal. It’s a risk that general manager Sam Presti almost undoubtedly wouldn’t take at this stage in OKC’s rebuild.
Again, while highly unlikely, here is what a theoretical trade for Bridges could look like:
Oklahoma City’s offer: Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Kenrich Williams for Miles Bridges, Kai Jones OR Lu Dort, Thunder 2022 FRP, 2023 Suns FRP for Miles Bridges
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