NBA Rumors: Latest Buzz on Miles Bridges Contract Talks, Goran Dragic Trade
Not even 10 games into the NBA season and rumors are already spinning. At the moment, they have centered on two players whose contracts end this offseason.
Covering both sides of the spectrum, the Charlotte Hornets' Miles Bridges is enjoying a season of career highs, while the Toronto Raptors' Goran Dragic is relegated to career lows. The former is a restricted free agent this summer. The latter will be unrestricted. And neither's future seems guaranteed.
According to recent reports, Charlotte's most recent extension offer wasn't to Bridges' liking. And converse to what will likely be a hot market for the young forward, Toronto has yet to find a suitable move involving an underused veteran Dragic.
Hornets at Odds with Market on Bridges' Valuation
At 23, Bridges is having an unprecedented start to this season. Through six games, he's averaged 25.5 points and 8.0 rebounds on 50.9-percent shooting. Considering that run of form and his chemistry with franchise cornerstone LaMelo Ball, one would imagine that keeping him would be a high priority.
But Marc Stein reported Charlotte's final extension offer to Bridges before the signing deadline was $60 million over four years. That was turned down and many have pointed to fellow forward (and similarly named) Mikal Bridges' contract as a reason why.
Mikal, drafted the same year as Miles, averaged 13.5 points and 4.3 rebounds last season. That was rewarded with a four-year, $90 million extension at the October 18 deadline for 2018 rookie extensions. Miles averaged 12.7 points and 6.0 rebounds last year, and—especially considering his 2021 outpouring—the 33.3 percent discount can be considered quite the lowball.
Of course, this is all hindsight since the extension was offered before the 2021-22 Miles breakout and Mikal was undeniably a better player (given his perimeter shooting and versatile defense) in 2020-21. But the Hornets will need to up that offer this offseason because the price will only increase if Miles keeps his level of play up.
'Patient Creativity' Required for Dragic Trade
At this point, it's public knowledge that Goran Dragic and the Toronto Raptors don't want to stay together for much longer. Stein confirmed this remains the case, but also that there has been little movement on the trade front.
According to one of Stein's sources, a Dragic move will need "patient creativity." Apparently, the team hasn't found many suitors but remains hopeful that some will emerge.
At 35 and owed $19.4 million in the final year of his contract, Dragic is best suited to a team with trophy hopes. Playing his fewest minutes per game since 2009 (and consequently averaging his fewest points and assists since then), the point guard isn't exactly being shown off.
If Toronto wants to move him for any value, they'll likely need to wait for a hopeful team to get desperate. If they want to do so without putting him on the court to show he's still a dynamic force, they may need to wait even longer.
