Now for another Bucks trade candidate! So far, we have mulled over Jerami Grant, Zach LaVine, Dejounte Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. This time, we analyse Charlotte Hornets wing/forward Miles Bridges.
The Player
Miles Bridges, 27, 6’7”, 225 lb, forward
Season averages: 19.5 PPG, 6.4 RPG, 3.7 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.6 BPG, .445/.335/.842
Miles Bridges has been a serviceable wing/forward for some time now after the Hornets selected him in the lottery back in 2018. He’s another one who fits into the “more of a power forward than a small forward” category; however, he floats my boat a tad more than another player we’ve applied that term to, Jerami Grant, because he has a slightly more well-rounded arsenal. I think Bridges is much more capable of toggling between the SF and PF than Grant is.
Over Miles’ last four seasons, he has scored the rock at a decent level, averaging 20.3 PPG, though it’s not as if he’s done it on great efficiency (45.9% from the field and 33.1% from deep). Where Bridges separates himself from Grant, though, is in his passing and rebounding. As a secondary playmaker, Miles has been able to get his teammates more involved, boasting an assist-to-turnover ratio very close to 2/1. Additionally, Bridges isn’t afraid to get his nose dirty and rebound, hauling in 7.1 boards per game.
On the defensive end, I was unable to find much on the trusty NBA Reddit, so I have nothing to give you guys other than what I know firsthand: he’s athletic, got good size, and has been the designated “Giannis guy” in most Bucks-Hornets matchups. He’s obviously very powerful and seems to have decent feet; I have no clue where he’s at as an off-ball player. He does average 1.5 stocks per game, though, which is a decent sign that he’s at least active off the ball. And so here we are, the Bucks need help on the wing, and Miles seems as good a bet as any. Thus, it makes sense that Milwaukee is showing interest in the former Michigan State Spartan, per Matt Moore’s latest reporting:
“Speaking of Bridges, the Hornets forward— who should absolutely not be in the NBA and who has a -2.5 on-court net rating and -8.5 on/off split— has drawn interest from Milwaukee as they continue to try and troll for an upgrade to magically unlock some version of the team that keeps Giannis from leaving.”
The Trade
Look, the mechanics of acquiring Bridges in a trade that would satisfy the Hornets are not simple. We have looked at a few trade candidates in which the other team would be expected to send Milwaukee assets to acquire their player. But in the case of Miles—considering his relatively cheap contract and the fact that he is a clear upgrade on the likely outgoing salary of Kyle Kuzma—the Bucks would need to send assets the other way. The problem is that the Bucks don’t really have the “right assets” to trade. Put simply, Bridges is not worth a first in general, let alone one five years out, which is all the Bucks have to offer; what he’s worth is some second-round picks, and the Bucks have none! The only guy on the Bucks roster that might equate to the value of a second-round pick (or two) would be Andre Jackson Jr. Ergo, the deal would have to look something like this:
If you’re the Bucks, I think you’d do this deal in a heartbeat. I’ll try my best to make the case for why the Hornets might do it, though. You could argue that, with their new influx of young talent—namely Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel—Charlotte might be looking to turn over a new leaf and leave the old(er) players from yesteryear behind. It’s also worth noting that they might be looking to move on from Miles, in particular, because of his off-court transgressions (people can Google those themselves if they aren’t aware). Additionally, they’d get to take a flyer on a gifted defender in Jackson, who the Bucks simply don’t have the time to give a real shot. Also, if Charlotte wasn’t interested in AJax, he wouldn’t have to be included; they’d still shave $2.6m off their books just trading for Kuzma (who has the exact same contract length as Bridges).
The Fit
As I alluded to above, I’d feel much better starting Miles Bridges at the three than I would Jerami Grant. Do I think he’s some perfect fit? Absolutely not. Sidenote: Michael Porter Jr. would be my first choice, though the price of a future first is simply off the table for me. Teams would sag off Bridges in the half-court and force him to make threes, which makes me nervous. However, this team just needs firepower in general, and although Miles isn’t some elite shooter, he’s a 20-PPG scorer who also gets his teammates involved. Put simply, he can be a key primary cog in Milwaukee’s offence, and the Bucks need more key cogs if nothing else but to replace certain guys who don’t deserve that title.
I also want to mention that Bridges would have learnt a lot playing with LaMelo Ball in how to play off a special player like that, which might help him play with Giannis. I’m talking about when to set the screen, when to slip out, when to cut, when to stay spaced, etc. Miles seems to have a decent mind for the game, and I think he’d work through how to impact the game next to the Greek Freak. Additionally, I think Bridges would be a solid fit next to Ryan Rollins and KPJ (especially in the non-Giannis minutes), playing the two-man game with those guys.
Arguably, though, the biggest impact he’d have would be on defence and rebounding, both of which the Milwaukee struggles with. The Bucks play smaller lineups a lot of the time and have gotten monstered by dominant wings and centres. Bringing in the 225-pound Bridges would immediately assist in those two areas. Moreover, Miles is durable. He’s averaged 34.7 minutes over his last four seasons and hasn’t played fewer than 64 games in his seven-year career; the Bucks would be able to count on him being on the court. All in all, I think Bridges is one of the best fits of all the candidates we’ve looked at so far. The issue is the mechanics that would go with acquiring him.
Are people with me on Miles Bridges, or am I overrating him? Let us know, as well as if there are any other guys we should cover!
