Miles Bridges lands new deal in free agency

Miles Bridges is getting to continue his NBA career … right where he is.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported on Saturday that the free-agent forward Bridges has agreed on a deal to return to the Charlotte Hornets. It will be a new three-year, $75 million deal for Bridges, Charania adds.

For Bridges, 26, his talent has never been in doubt. The former first-round pick continues to get better on the court and had a career year in 2023-24 with 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. Bridges can also make a meaningful impact on defense with his 6-foot-7 frame (though his focus often comes and goes on that end).

But Bridges’ basketball ability is far overshadowed at this point by his ugly troubles off the court. Bridges missed the entire 2022-23 NBA campaign after a June 2022 arrest for alleged felony domestic violence against his then-girlfriend. While Bridges pleaded no contest to the charges and managed to avoid jail time, he was arrested again in October 2023 for a separate alleged incident of violence against the same woman. Bridges saw three criminal counts dropped in that case and returned to play 69 games for the Hornets last season (though he continues to serve three years of probation for the June 2022 incident).

The Hornets, with whom Bridges has spent his whole professional career thus far, already took the PR hit by bringing him back last offseason on the one-year qualifying offer. Now they are renewing their partnership with Bridges again, this time on a new multiyear deal.