Miles Bridges officially signs qualifying offer with Charlotte Hornets, releases apology
Posted July 7, 2023 7:48 p.m. EDT
Updated July 7, 2023 7:49 p.m. EDT
The Charlotte Hornets have officially signed restricted free agent Miles Bridges to a qualifying offer, general manager Mitch Kupchak announced Friday.
Bridges' contract for the 2023-24 season will pay him $7.92 million, according to Spotrac.
Bridges, 25, released his first public comments Friday about his June 2022 arrest for felony domestic violence.
“I sincerely apologize for the pain, embarrassment and disappointment that last year’s incident caused so many people,” Bridges said in a release posted to the team's website. “Time away from the game allowed me to reflect, immerse myself in therapy and prioritize becoming a better person - someone my family and peers can be proud of.
"I’m grateful to the Hornets and the NBA community for giving me a second chance - most people don’t ever get one and I understand those questioning whether I deserve one. I will do everything I can to earn back the trust and confidence of my teammates, coaches, the Hornets organization and staff, fans, and the Charlotte community. I’m ready to return to work and can’t wait to rejoin my Hornets teammates.”
On Friday, Kupchak also released a statement about Bridges' signing. It comes after Bridges' no contest plea in November 2022 to a felony domestic violence charge.
“Throughout this process, we have taken a measured and serious approach,” Kupchak said. “Several factors played a part in our decision to bring Miles back, including the conclusion of the legal process, the results of the NBA’s investigation and Miles’ commitment to counseling and community service.
"Our five-year relationship with Miles has allowed for open and honest dialogue. He has shown remorse, indicated that he has learned from this situation and expressed that it will not happen again. We look forward to Miles rejoining our team.”
The NBA initially suspended Miles Bridges for 30 games after his June 2022 arrest. He’ll miss just 10 games in which he is eligible to play since he did not sign or play during the 2022-23 season after his arrest. The New York Times reported Bridges was accused of accused of hitting his girlfriend in front of their two children.
Last summer, Bridges was due for a five-year contract extension with the Hornets worth around $170 million.
Bridges will compete for playing time with No. 2 overall pick Brandon Miller, Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin and Bryce McGowens.
For his NBA career, Bridges has appeared in 291 games (188 starts) and averaged 13.4 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Bridges set career highs in the 2021-22 season with 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists in 35.5 minutes per game across 80 appearances (all starts). He was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round (12th overall) of the 2018 NBA Draft and acquired by the Hornets in a draft night trade.
