According to ESPN, Miles Bridges signed a one-year qualifying agreement worth $7.9 million with the Charlotte Hornets. The deal comes a year after sitting out for the 2022-2023 NBA season due to a domestic dispute with his ex-girlfriend Johnson. According to ESPN stats, bridges had a breakout 2021-2022 season, leading the team in points 20.2 points per game. According to the New York Times, bridges, which Klutch Sports represents, was set to negotiate a deal for a $173 million multi-year contract. He was arrested two days before last year’s free agency.
Bridge faced 11 years and eight months of prison under California law before he signed a plea deal last November 2022 involving no jail time. Bridges must serve three years probation, complete 52 weeks of parent domestic violence counseling and parenting classes, complete 100 hours at community services, and undergo weekly narcotics testing. He cannot own any guns, ammunition, or weapons. He was also required to pay restitution and domestic violence fine and follow the terms of a 10-year protective order (stay 100 yards away from and have no contact with his ex-partner).
The NBA recently sanctioned him a 30-game suspension but honored 20 games of his suspension during the time he sat out during the 2022-2023 NBA season. Bridges will be on the sideline for the first ten games of the 2023-2024 NBA season.
His social media has remained silent after his suspension sentence clearing him to play. According to the Charlotte Observer, he released his first public statement this month after resigning from the team.
“I sincerely apologize for the pain, embarrassment and disappointment that last year’s incident caused so many people.”
With Miles getting a second chance on the court, let’s see if he will carry out the momentum in Buzz City for a bigger contract after the 2023-2024 season.