Cavaliers considering signing and trading lottery-winning scorer Miles Bridges

The Cleveland Cavaliers have had an active offseason.

First, the team fired longtime head coach J.B. Bickerstaff this spring, though Bickerstaff led the club to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs for the first time since 2018 (i.e., LeBron James’ final season in Cleveland).

After four seasons and changes (he replaced John Beilein late in the 2019-20 season), Bickerstaff ultimately finished with a 170-159 regular-season record during his tenure with the franchise, plus a 6-11 playoff record, having made the playoffs three times (including a play-in tournament berth in 2021-22) and two postseason appearances. Bickerstaff now coaches the lowly Detroit Pistons.

Cleveland then hired longtime Golden State Warriors assistant coach Kenny Atkinson to replace Bickerstaff. Former Los Angeles Lakers assistant coach Jordan Ott joined Atkinson’s bench.

In the 2024 NBA draft, Cleveland general manager Koby Altman selected Cal forward Jaylon Tyson with the 20th pick of the first round.

Perhaps most importantly, the Cavaliers re-signed superstar goaltender Donovan Mitchell, the team’s best player, to a three-year, $150.3 million contract extension.

But the Cavaliers have been remarkably quiet on other transactions. Swingman Isaac Okoro, the team’s former No. 5 pick in 2020, became an unrestricted free agent and appears unlikely to return.

Now it appears Cleveland is interested in bringing in a talented but struggling forward duo, according to Marc Stein in a new Substack article: Charlotte Hornets veteran Miles Bridges.

“It’s unclear how serious the interest is, but league sources describe Cleveland as a team to watch in a potential sign-and-trade scenario for Miles Bridges,” Stein wrote. “Newly hired Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson has publicly stated that Charlotte hopes to retain Bridges, but Bridges is known to be interested in sign-and-trade options.”

Learn more: Cavaliers News: With Donovan Mitchell re-signed, what’s next in Cleveland?

After being drafted by the Hornets with the 12th overall pick in 2018 out of Michigan State, the 2.00m power forward/small forward had a breakout season in 2021-22. In 80 games, he averaged 20.2 points on a .491/.331/.802 hitting line, seven rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.8 blocks per game. He finished seventh in Most Improved Player voting.

He appeared poised to land a huge contract in restricted free agency that summer.

Then everything changed. In July, Bridges was arrested on domestic violence charges after violently assaulting his then-girlfriend, Mychelle Johnson, in front of two of their three young children. He eventually pleaded not guilty to domestic violence charges and was sentenced to three years of probation.

Bridges was absent from the Hornets for the entire 2022-23 season, but was only officially suspended for 30 games between that year and 2023-24. In October 2023, he allegedly attacked Johnson’s car with their children inside and was charged with violating his probation and protective order.

That disturbing behavior has made the 26-year-old a strange target for any self-respecting team this summer. Does the fact that he averaged 21 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 2023-24 erase his heinous personal failings?