Miles Bridges Says He May Return to Hornets in March amid NBA Investigation

Charlotte Hornets wing Miles Bridges said Tuesday that his NBA return could be on the horizon.

According to Larry Lage of the Associated Press, Bridges was asked about his status during halftime of Tuesday's college basketball game between his alma mater Michigan State and Indiana, and he said: "It's been a long process. I might be back in March."

Bridges continues to be investigated by the NBA in the wake of allegations that he assaulted a woman with whom he has two children in June.

In November, Bridges pleaded no-contest to one felony count of injuring a child's parent, which allowed him to avoid jail time, although he was sentenced to three years' probation, 100 hours of community service and 52 weeks of both parenting classes and domestic violence counseling.

While Bridges' sentence has been handed down, he is still facing potential discipline from the NBA in the form of a suspension.

Bridges hit restricted free agency last offseason, and the Hornets extended him a $7.9 million qualifying offer, but the two sides never came to an agreement on a long-term deal due to Bridges' legal situation.

The 2018 No. 12 overall pick made significant strides in each of his four seasons in the NBA and set career highs nearly across the board last season.

In 80 games, Bridges averaged a team-leading 20.2 points to go along with 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.9 three-pointers made, while shooting 49.1 percent from the floor and 33.1 percent from beyond the arc.

With Bridges out of the picture this season and star guard LaMelo Ball missing a large chunk due to injury, the Hornets have struggled to a 17-43 record, placing them in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference ahead of only the Detroit Pistons.

Charlotte is essentially already out of playoff contention, which suggests there may not be much of a reason to rush Bridges back into action.

The Hornets would benefit more from losing games and improving their chances to land Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA draft, so the 2023-24 season may be a more logical target for Bridges' return if he is cleared to play.