Exploring 3 potential trade options for Charlotte Hornets' starting forward Miles Bridges

Potential trades involving Miles Bridges.

Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

As the calendar flips from 2024 to 2025 we usher in both a new calendar year and an NBA trading season that the Charlotte Hornets figure to be active in. The reeling franchise's 7-25 record leaves little to be played for this season outside of lottery balls and the ever-growing chance at drafting Cooper Flagg.

Because of that, Charlotte should look to move some of the ancillary pieces around their star trio of LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Mark Williams as each of those three young players continue to show indelible flashes of talent that point to a bright future in the Queen City.

One of those pieces that could be moved is starting power forward Miles Bridges. Bridges, 26, recently signed a three-year contract with the Charlotte Hornets that ties him to the franchise until 2027. However, as the Hornets' most veteran starter, Jeff Peterson and Charles Lee may decide to let him play out the prime of his career elsewhere as Bridges' timeline is slightly accelerated compared to Charlotte's über young core.

If the Hornets do decide to move Bridges ahead of the February 6th trade deadline, here are a few options.

Trade number one: Miles Bridges heads to Chicago as the Ball brothers reunite

Fanspo trade machine

This trade helps out both teams in a number of ways.

For Charlotte, moving off of Bridges' contract for Lonzo Ball's expiring deal allows the team more financial flexibility this summer. Swinging a deal for Lonzo would also shore up Charlotte's back court depth in the event that they trade Vasilije Micic elsewhere before the deadline, a common thought that has swirled since the summer months.

For Chicago, adding Bridges will allow them to break up the morass in their back court. Ahead of the Bulls' recent matchup with the Hornets in Charlotte, Billy Donovan spoke at length about the gymnastics his staff has had to play with their deep rotation of guards. Swapping out Ball for Bridges will open up more minutes for both Coby White and Ayo Dosunmo, two young ball handlers that have been squeezed out at times by Ball, Josh Giddey and Zach LaVine.

Lastly, who wouldn't want to see Lonzo team up with his brother LaMelo? A Chino Hills reunion would make Charlotte the epicenter of the NBA world for a few weeks as the brothers turn the Queen City into their personal fast break playground.

Trade number two: Charlotte sends Miles Bridges to a Western Conference contender

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Shoutout to my friend James Plowright for the idea around this one. He details the potential framework of this deal nicely in his debut piece on clture.org, but in my version of the potential swap, Charlotte also sends Vasilije Micic to Minnesota to open up more minutes for Isaiah Wong, Tre Mann (upon his return) and Nick Smith Jr., while shoring up the Wolves back court on their quest to return to at least the Western Conference Finals.

Randle would be an interesting fit in Charlotte's front court. The chemistry issues between him and Rudy Gobert have been oft-discussed in the early goings of the 2024-25 NBA season, and it's easy to imagine similar difficulties arising between him and the Mark Williams/Nick Richards duo.

However, Randle's presence as an interior scoring hub could allow Charles Lee's perimeter-centric offense to flow smoother with the former New York Knick functioning as a gravitational force inside.

Trade number three: Bridges heads home

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The Detroit Pistons are one of the most flexible teams in the league salary-wise. They are currently firing on all cylinders behind Cade Cunningham's star turn, and if they decide to push some chips in and make a move for the playoffs in 2025, Bridges would slide nicely into their starting five.

Charlotte would acquire Tim Hardaway Jr.'s expiring contract in the deal, allowing them future financial savings by moving off of Bridges, and adding to their treasure trove of draft picks with a lottery-protected first rounder that would turn into a pair of seconds if it doesn't convey in 2027 (the same style protections on the pick that Charlotte owes to San Antonio this season).

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