Ranking the 7 best NBA players who can't be traded until Jan. 15
Bridges. Miles Bridges. Miles Bridges. 3. . Forward | Hornets. . player. 170.
The concepts behind Miles Bridges' contract are a little confusing since this his is sixth year in the league. Since Bridges was suspended for a full season after his fourth year, he could not sign a contract. This allowed the Charlotte Hornets to offer him a qualifying offer, which counts as using his Early Bird rights and hence why he can't be traded until January 15.
Before all the trouble that Miles Bridges got himself into, he was a rising star. In his fourth season, he averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists, on .491/.331/.802 shooting splits and helped the Hornets make the Play-In. After missing a full season, Bridges has not missed a beat. He's been averaging 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.4 steals on .500/.411/.854 shooting splits.
Despite being away from NBA basketball for over a year, Bridges has improved his shooting, which everyone needs in today's NBA. Since he's returned to the starting lineup, the Hornets have gone 4-5 which is much better than their 3-9 record before that.
Bridges is in a very tough spot due to his off-the-court issues. There is a good chance that the Hornets are extremely willing to trade Bridges because of those issues, despite his play. But other teams may have similar concerns about the optics of giving up significant assets for a player with a history of domestic violence.
The Hornets are once again at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 7-14 record. They have very talented players on their roster, some hurt and some young. They have one of two options with Bridges which is, to see how good they can be with everyone healthy and or just trade him.
If the Hornets do decide it's best to trade Bridges, they could get a lot for him but there's also a possibility that they don't get much or can't trade him at all.