Miles Bridges’ return, Hornets’ roster moves give insight into organization’s new mentality
Someone who knows the inner workings of the NBA business and how the Charlotte Hornets operate was checking in, eager to discuss the big news.
Miles Bridges is coming back, agreeing to a three-year $75 million pact to stay teamed alongside good buddy LaMelo Ball and emerging young talent Brandon Miller. The stare down is complete, with both sides amicably excited to move on to the true task at hand of elevating the Hornets to a playoff team.
Getting to this point, though, highlighted the ugly side of the business, the portion nobody likes to talk about since it’s ruthless and can be, well, a little cutthroat. But the Hornets, led by co-owners Rick Schnall and Gabe Plotkin, weren’t about to outbid themselves.
Schnall and Plotkin didn’t generate millions for their respective corporations without some savviness and they applied that same logic to the negotiations with Bridges, mostly holding firm on their parameters — committing to the 26-year-old without handcuffing themselves in case he doesn’t stay on the straight and narrow in the future.
“They just waited it out,” a league source told The Observer. “That’s the smart thing to do.”
Bringing back Bridges keyed a day filled with Hornets’ front office activity and his impending return, paired with the official end of the NBA’s player moratorium, likely won’t be the last move vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson makes.
Peterson’s economical wheeling-and-dealing mentality doesn’t mirror the methodical, old school nature of his predecessor Mitch Kupchak and it’s obvious he wasn’t going to be satisfied with the roster as it was constructed, which is why the Hornets have shed five players — JT Thor, Seth Curry, Bryce McGowens, Davis Bertans and Aleksej Pokuševski — on the back end within the past week.
Peterson is seeking quality depth on the bench, something the Hornets have consistently lacked over the years despite it being a necessity given their constant injury woes.
The Hornets’ projected starting lineup of Ball, Josh Green, Miller, Bridges and Mark Williams has potential, but the roster composition behind them will be a huge determinant in just how good the team can be and if Charlotte will be ready to challenge the likes of Southeast Division foe Orlando, which punched a postseason ticket in 2023-24 and got better with free agent addition Kentavius Caldwell-Pope.
With two open spots on the 15-man roster at the moment — a number that should swell to three when Reggie Jackson is officially cut loose as expected — and potentially a pair of two-way spots at his disposal, there’s plenty of room left for Peterson to work some more magic.
Right now, the Hornets’ reserves include Grant Williams, Cody Martin, Tre Mann, Nick Smith Jr., Vasa Micic, Nick Richards, Leaky Black and rookies Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson.
So, as currently constituted, the Hornets’ bench has some holes that have to be addressed. Peterson also has the $7.9 million room exception — possibly something perhaps something he can offer a veteran — to utilize since the Hornets are operating below the cap.
The good news for Peterson is all these areas can be plugged now that Bridges is on board again and the contract saga is complete. The Hornets and everyone on both sides can exhale, finally content with the new pact.
“I think 25 (million a year) is a fair deal,” a league source said, “but it’s going to be a low market deal in three years.”
That’s a bridge the Hornets will cross again in 2027. Perhaps by then, though, the road will be repaved and much smoother than the pothole-filled one they’ve traveled on for the past eight years.
Hornets impressive in summer debut
Could the Hornets have something in Mouhamadou Gueye?
Starting in Saturday night’s 97-65 win against San Antonio in the California Classic at Golden 1 Center, Gueye posted a game-best 21 points along with five rebounds and three blocks. The 6-foot-9, 210-pound forward was comfortable, draining 3-pointers and throwing down nasty dunks that drew a rise out of a crowd looking to keep cool on a 107-degree day.
Gueye appeared in 11 games for Toronto this past season, averaging 2.4 points in 10.9 minutes. The 25-year-old is eager to keep showing what he can do and prove he belongs in the NBA.
“Just going into my third year,” Gueye said, “I can definitely see the experience I’ve gained in the past two years kind of translate on the court. So, it feels good just to see that progress.”
Nick Smith Jr. noticed it, too.
“Mo can play,” Smith said. “I played against him once in the G League last year. And (it was) the same thing. He came out there and played freely, knocked down a few shots and he came up big for us. He got some huge dunks, some huge rebounds and some huge blocks for us.”
Overall, the Hornets were impressive in dismantling the Spurs. Consider it a continuation of the new attitude coach Charles Lee is attempting to implement.
“It’s not just summer league,” Lee said. “I think when you are a new coach and a new staff, there’s a lot of new faces in that locker room and we are trying to set a tone, we are trying to set a foundation for what the Hornets’ culture is going to be about going forward. So, I think it’s really important we start to embody Hornets’ DNA.”
