5 Increasingly desperate moves Bucks should make to keep Giannis happy
By Tyler Watts
3. Trade for Miles Bridges
Bridges did not play in the NBA last season after he was arrested for domestic violence. He is suspended for the first ten games of the 2023-24 campaign after pleading no-contest to the charge. Bridges deserved a heftier suspension, but he will be back on the floor in short order.
He averaged 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 35.5 minutes per game during the 2021-22 campaign. Bridges shot 49.1 percent from the field and 80.2 percent on his free throws, and was in line for a massive payday before his arrest.
The 25-year-old was a restricted free agent in 2022 but never signed. That made him restricted again this summer where he accepted the $7.9 million qualifying offer from the Hornets.
Bridges will be an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024, but the Hornets should shop him before the trade deadline, especially if he is playing well. The Bucks desperately need an infusion of youth, and Bridges could be their one chance at adding it.
Miles Bridges can veto any trade this season after accepting his qualifying offer, so the 25-year-old should be looking for a permanent home if he decides to move on. The Milwaukee Bucks are unlikely to have the biggest offer in free agency next summer, but they could present a chance to compete for a championship and the opportunity to play next to a superstar. Will that be enough?