Hornets Rumors: Miles Bridges Wanted Over $25M Per Year in New CHA Contract

Before Miles Bridges decided to accept the Charlotte Hornets' $7.9 million qualifying offer, he reportedly had higher hopes for a potential deal.

According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, Bridges "was seeking upward of $25 million in average annual value from the Hornets this July."

Bridges missed the entirety of the 2022-23 season after pleading no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in November. He received a 30-game suspension from the NBA in April, 10 of which will be served during next season after it was deemed 20 had already been served this past year.

Fischer noted that "Charlotte and Bridges' representation were far enough apart in negotiations that Bridges swiftly took the qualifying offer not even 24 hours into free agency." However, he believes the 25-year-old "could have waited." Bridges' camp even "went so far as asking Charlotte to pull the qualifying offer, sources said, to reach the open market now."

Prior to his arrest last summer, Bridges was set to draw a significant amount of interest if he became a restricted free agent. According to Fischer, "There was plenty of talk of Bridges drawing several offers of around $30 million annually, perhaps from the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons and even the Memphis Grizzlies, before news broke regarding Bridges' allegations of assault."

Now, he will have one year to prove himself before testing free agency next summer. Bridges averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists over 80 games during the 2021-22 season, so he should be able to make an impact on a Charlotte team looking to bounce back from a disappointing 27-55 season.