Report: Cavaliers Team To Watch In Potential Sign-And-Trade Deal For Hornets’ Miles Bridges

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Cleveland Cavaliers are a team to watch in a potential sign-and-trade deal for Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges.

Bridges is an unrestricted free agent. 

“It is not yet clear how serious the interest is, but league sources describe Cleveland as a team to watch in potential sign-and-trade scenario for Miles Bridges,” Stein wrote. “New Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson has said publicly that Charlotte hopes to retain Bridges, but Bridges is known to be interested in sign-and-trade options. Also: Charlotte has since agreed to trade for Dallas swingman Josh Green in the three-team collaboration via sign-and-trade that will soon land Golden State’s Klay Thompson in Dallas. The Los Angeles Times reported this week that the LA Clippers have also expressed some sign-and-trade interest in Bridges.”

Bridges appeared in 69 games for the Hornets in 2023-24. He averaged 21.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.5 blocks while shooting 46.2% from the field, 34.9% from beyond the arc and 82.5% from the free-throw line. 

The Hornets drafted Bridges with the 12th overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft out of Michigan State. The 26-year-old has career averages of 14.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.8 steals and 0.7 blocks. 

The Cavaliers, who lost to the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2024 playoffs in five games, fired JB Bickerstaff and hired Kenny Atkinson. Cleveland signed Atkinson to a five-year deal. 

All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell agreed to a three-year, $150.3 million maximum contract extension, ending all the rumors that he wasn’t happy in The Land. A source told Hoops Wire that Mitchell privately grew tired of everyone saying he would leave the Cavaliers, who acquired the scorer from the Utah Jazz in 2022. 

Mitchell is averaging 27.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.5 blocks with the Cavaliers, who are expected to sign Evan Mobley to a rookie-scale extension soon.