Miles Bridges suspended 30 games by the NBA

PER THE NBA:

The NBA announced today that Miles Bridges has been suspended for 30 games without pay as a result of a domestic violence incident involving the mother of his children.

The incident occurred on June 27, 2022, in Los Angeles, after which Mr. Bridges was arrested and charged with multiple offenses. On November 3, 2022, Mr. Bridges entered a plea of no contest to a felony domestic violence charge and the remaining counts against him were dismissed.

The NBA conducted its own investigation into this matter, reviewing all available materials and interviewing numerous third-party witnesses, as well as the parties involved. The NBA also consulted with a group of domestic violence experts who provide the league with guidance in such cases. The 30-game suspension is based on all facts and circumstances of this matter and considers the conduct and its result, as well as the outcome of the criminal matter, among other factors.

Following his arrest and plea, Mr. Bridges did not sign an NBA contract for the 2022-23 season, missing all 82 games. In recognition of that outcome, the NBA has deemed 20 games of the suspension to have been already served. If Mr. Bridges signs an NBA contract, he will be required to miss the first 10 games for which he is otherwise eligible and able to play.

Charlotte Hornets extend qualifying offers to Miles Bridges and Cody Martin

The Charlotte Hornets have extended qualifying offers to forwards Miles Bridges and Cody Martin, making them both restricted free agents.

The qualifying offer allows the Hornets to match any offer sheet either player signs with another team.

During the 2021-22 season, Bridges averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 35.5 minutes per game in 80 contests. He set new career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game, increasing his scoring average by 7.5 points per game from the 2020-21 season. He opened the 2021-22 season by earning Eastern Conference Player of the Week for the first week of games played and finished the season ranking 15th in total points (1,613). He scored 20-plus points in 44 games and 30 points or more in nine games in his fourth year after just 24 20-point performances through his first three seasons. Bridges also ranked amongst the NBA’s top paint scorers with 840 paint points, the sixth-most in the NBA last season.

The 12th overall selection in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Hornets acquired the draft rights to Bridges from the LA Clippers. Over four seasons in the NBA, Bridges has amassed 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 29.1 minutes per game. He holds a career field goal percentage of .473% and has made 434 career 3-point field goals, which is seventh on the franchise’s all-time 3-pointers made list.

Martin, who appeared in 71 games during the 2021-22 season, averaged 7.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 steals per game, setting all new single-season career highs. In his third season out of Nevada, Martin connected on .482% of his field goal attempts, including shooting .384% from beyond the arc, which are both are new career highs for a single season. He ended last season ranked 26th in steals per contest among league leaders and was tied for 16th in the NBA in multi-steal games (28).

Selected with the 36th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by Charlotte, Martin has made 171 career appearances, accruing averages of 5.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals in 21.2 minutes per outing.

Hornets forward Miles Bridges fined by NBA

Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges has been fined $50,000 for, per the NBA, “throwing his mouthpiece into the spectator stands, which resulted in the mouthpiece striking a fan,” it was announced today by Byron Spruell, President, League Operations.

The incident occurred after Bridges received two technical fouls and was ejected in Charlotte’s 132-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on April 13 at State Farm Arena.

The Hornets deserve respect, says forward Miles Bridges

The Hornets deserve respect, says forward Miles Bridges. Via the Charlotte Observer:

“Opponents, they still think we’re scrubs. We’re just trying to show people that it’s a new year,” Bridges said Friday, before the Hornets play the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.

The Hornets just beat the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday. Afterward, Charlotte guard Malik Monk said of the rest of the league, “We’re going to make them respect us.”

That follows Bridges’ blunt comments in the preseason about the Hornets’ four-season absence from the playoffs: “The Hornets, we haven’t been a good organization for a long time. Let’s be honest about it — everybody here, we’re tired of that.”

“We’re still under .500, but I feel like we’ve opened a lot of teams’ eyes as to how (much) better the Hornets are getting and how good we’re going to be in the future,” said Bridges.

The Hornets are 15-16, tying them with the Bulls for the 7th best record in the Eastern conference. The team’s leading scorers are Gordon Hayward at 21.8 points per game, Terry Rozier at 20.4 PPG, rookie LaMelo Ball at 14.8 PPG, and Devonte’ Graham at 13.7 PPG.

Hornets exercise contract options on PJ Washington and Miles Bridges

The Charlotte Hornets have exercised their third-year option on forward PJ Washington and fourth-year option on forward Miles Bridges.

Washington enters his second NBA season after appearing in 58 games (57 starts) during his rookie campaign in 2019-20. The Kentucky product averaged 12.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 30.3 minutes per game. Washington shot 45.5% from the field overall including 37.4% from beyond-the-arc. The 12th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft set a rookie NBA record for three-point field goals made in a debut with seven total vs. Chicago on Oct. 23, 2019. The 6-7 forward started for the Hornets all season and garnered 2019-20 All-Rookie Second Team honors for the season.

Bridges is in his third NBA season after appearing in 145 games (89 starts) in his first two years. Bridges upped his averaged from 7.5 points in his rookie campaign to 13.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 30.7 minutes per game in his second year. Bridges totaled 20 points, five rebounds and five assists during the 2020 Rising Stars Challenge at All-Star weekend in Chicago. The Michigan State product was originally acquired by the Hornets in a draft-night trade after being selected with the 12th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Hornets trade for draft rights to No. 12 pick Miles Bridges

The Charlotte Hornets have acquired the draft rights to forward Miles Bridges (12th overall pick) from the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th overall pick) and two future second-round draft picks during tonight’s 2018 NBA Draft.

Bridges, a 6-7 forward from Michigan State, was a unanimous 2017-18 All-Big Ten First Team selection and he also earned 2017-18 consensus Second Team All-American honors. He led Michigan State in scoring in scoring (17.0 ppg), ranked second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and third in assists (2.7 apg) during the 2017-18 campaign. Following his sophomore campaign, he was a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, given to the top men’s collegiate small forward, and a top-10 finalist for the Naismith National Player of the Year. He was the first Michigan State freshman or sophomore player to average at least 17.0 points per game since Shawn Respert in 1992-93.

As a freshman in 2016-17, the Flint, Mich. native was the Big Ten Freshman of the year after averaging 16.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 28 contests. He was the only Division-I freshman in the nation in the last 25 years to average at least 16.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists and return for his sophomore season.