ESPN: Charlotte Hornets controversial player sign a mega deal with providence friars.

We soon found out that Miles Bridges might not be guaranteed to return to Charlotte when the NBA’s highly anticipated free agency period began on Sunday night, when the hypothetical free agency bell rang. The Charlotte Hornets and Bridges had more time to work out the details of a new agreement, but not enough significant progress was made for them to avoid spending the last few days working on different projects. The new collective bargaining agreement for the league provides teams with a sort of lifeline, enabling them to negotiate and come to contracts similar to what Indiana did with Pascal Siakam and New York did by bringing OG Anunoby back.

However, things weren’t that lucky for the Hornets and Bridges’ representation. The hard effort now begins in seeking friendly companions to help him leave. In the multibillion dollar world of professional sports, negotiations always boil down to two things: money and common sense. The Hornets and Bridges situation is no exception. Make no mistake about that, particularly considering that Bridges has expressed time and time again how much he would have liked to stay with the franchise who picked him since they supported him during his domestic abuse case.

Although Bridges has the cards in theory, his hand isn’t strong enough to be played on its own and earn a significant reward similar to that of a royal flush. That’s the reason why rumors began to circulate that Bridges wanted to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers. These guys, Josh Primo and Kevin Porter Jr., were both let go by their previous teams due to significant off-court events. The Clippers have already signed All-Star Paul George to play for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Bridges reportedly observed that Steve Ballmer, the owner of the Clippers, is open to giving players second chances and would not object to being a part of the process of launching the team’s new home arena, the Intuit Dome. However, there can be a few obstacles to overcome. And landing a big deal doesn’t seem possible. for a multitude of causes.

A league source told The Charlotte Observer on Wednesday that “the Clippers would have paid Paul George if they wanted to pay somebody.” Welcome to the virtual match between the Hornets and Bridges’ agents that began last summer. Bridges shocked everyone by accepting the $7.9 million, one-year qualifying offer shortly after free agency opened. He reasoned that if things went well during the 2023–24 season, he would receive a sizable payday this summer. They now sort of depend on one another for this break to be advantageous to both of them.

Bridges has very few options because the majority of teams do not now have the salary cap space to sign him to a contract that would pay him $20 million or more a season. With all of its front office and coaching changes, Detroit, the team Bridges grew up rooting for in Michigan, appears to have changed its mind about being a prospective landing location that sparked genuine interest months ago. Furthermore, Philadelphia was never in on Bridges, despite the rumors that surfaced weeks ago.

It wouldn’t be wise to settle for a team’s $12.9 mid-level exception either, as it would be less than Bridges’ estimated market value and there aren’t many teams vying for him. Without it, there is very little leverage.

The Hornets realize that playing a game of chicken isn’t the best course of action because they’ve already seen how the first film in this series ended, and if they can’t come to an amicable agreement that pleases both of them, things could become sticky in the sequel. From an asset standpoint, the Hornets would not gain anything by letting Bridges depart. He was their best scorer and most resilient player. It is basketball malpractice to see him glide out of town without receiving something in exchange, similar to what happened in 2019 when they mediated a deal to get Terry Rozier for Kemba Walker. When you put it all together, you get a reasonable conclusion.

“I believe they ultimately sign and trade Bridges,” a team executive stated to The Observer on Wednesday. The Hornets seem to be losing Bridges, and thus far, there’s been no indication to the contrary.