New Phoenix Suns forward Miles Bridges thanked the Charlotte Hornets.
During his introductory press conference with the Phoenix Suns, Miles Bridges thanked the Charlotte Hornets for giving him a second chance after his legal issues.
Bridges missed the 2022-23 season while dealing with off-the-court stuff. He pleaded no contest to a felony domestic violence charge in 2022.
Bridges was arrested in June 2022 on the eve of free agency on charges including felony child abuse and injuring a child's parent. The NBA forced him to sit out while his legal case was pending and he ultimately pleaded no contest.
Bridges was suspended for 30 games in April 2023 by the league but received a 20-game credit because he sat out the 2022-23 season. Bridges also faced three charges for an alleged violation of a domestic violence protection order on Oct. 6, 2023, before the case was eventually dropped.
"It's mixed feelings about me being here," Bridges said during his introductory news conference with the Suns. "But I take full responsibility for my actions, I've been to counseling, I've been to therapy. Right now I'm prioritizing just being better as a man every day, on and off the court. Mainly off the court.
"I definitely want to earn the trust of my teammates first. Making the locker room comfortable, having guys that want to be around me ... is huge. And that definitely goes into on-the-court stuff."
Bridges will make $22,826,087 next season in the final year of his contract. He joins Devin Booker, Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks in Phoenix.
Bridges appeared in 77 games for the Hornets this past season. He averaged 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 46.0% from the field, 33.3% from beyond the arc and 82.2% from the free-throw line.
Bridges was the 12th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of Michigan State. He holds career averages of 15.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game.
Along with Bridges, the Hornets also traded LaMelo Ball. It's a new era in Charlotte now, headlined by Coby White, Brandon Miller, Naz Reid and Kon Knueppel.
The Hornets are expected to start White, Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté next season. That's a strong starting five on paper.
Charlotte missed the playoffs this past season by one game. The franchise hasn't made the playoffs since 2016, but the future of the team looks bright with White, Miller, Knueppel, Reid and Diabaté leading the way.
