Magic would have a lot to consider with Miles Bridges

ORLANDO — In terms of age and basketball production, Miles Bridges is arguably one of the most talented free agents the Orlando Magic are considering this offseason. But any team interested in the 26-year-old Charlotte Hornets star will also consider his history of domestic violence.

Bridges missed the 2022-23 NBA season following the June 2022 domestic violence case that accused him of assaulting his former girlfriend in front of their children.

Rather than face up to 11 years in prison for the three criminal charges he faced, Bridges pleaded no contest in November 2022 to one count of injuring the parent of a child.

Bridges received three years of probation during which “he will be required to complete 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling and 52 weeks of parenting classes, complete 100 hours of community service and submit to drug testing.” weekly (marijuana being permitted only if there is a valid permit). medical prescription). He cannot possess any firearms, ammunition or weapons,” ESPN reported at the time.

“(Bridges) must obey the terms of a 10-year protective order, staying 100 yards away from the woman and having no contact with her. Bridges and the woman retain custody of their two children, and all Visitation or exchange of children must be carried out peacefully and through a neutral third party, agreeing to do so in exchange for three years of probation and no prison time.

Bridges missed the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season as part of a 30-game suspension imposed by the league, which left him out the entire 2022-23 season to account for the first 20 games of his suspension.

Despite the off-field issues, Bridges was a productive player. In his return season, Bridges averaged 21 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists – numbers comparable to his stats before the suspension, but his film looked different than in previous years.

With the face of the franchise, LaMelo Ball, dealing with injuries for most of the season, the 6-foot-7 Bridges posted a career-high usage rate (23.5%) as a The team’s No. 2 option next to star rookie Brandon Miller. .

Bridges’ efficiency suffered when he settled for mid-range shots and his true shooting percentage fell from 60 to 56 percent. His 34.9 percent success rate on three-pointers was below the league average for his position — perhaps a wake-up call for the Magic, who rank among the worst 3-shooting teams NBA points and needs more outside scoring.

As for defense, a point of pride for the Magic, “Bridges’ off-ball awareness remained incredibly poor,” AllHornets.com reported. “His declining athleticism also showed on the defensive end, with a career-low in blocks (0.5) despite a career-high in minutes.”

Bridges’ expiring one-year contract paid him $8 million. His camp reportedly rejected a four-year, $60 million offer from the Hornets last fall.

NBA teams can begin negotiating with free agents on June 30 at 6 p.m. ET.