Miles Bridges has decided to veto any trade and will remain with the Hornets for the rest of the season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. The news was confirmed by Bridges’ agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports Group.
The move means Bridges will become an unrestricted free agent this summer and will retain his Bird rights, which he would have lost if had been dealt to another team. Bridges is one of a handful of NBA players with the ability to turn down trades because he re-signed with his team on a one-year contract last summer.
The Bird rights issue and Bridges’ legal difficulties combined to limit his value on the trade market. Bridges received a 30-game suspension for a 2022 domestic violence incident and has a pending court appearance in March for allegedly violating a protection order.
Bridges has said several times that he prefers to remain in Charlotte, including Wednesday night in a post-game session with reporters, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges posted his second straight 40-point game and has been a valuable weapon for the rebuilding Hornets.
Even if Bridges doesn’t re-sign with Charlotte, the team could potentially get a better return for him this summer in a sign-and-trade deal, notes Yossi Gozlan of HoopsHype. Bridges didn’t play in 2022-23, so the Hornets weren’t permitted to sign and trade him last offseason.
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