Miles Bridges, the talented young forward of the Charlotte Hornets, has recently popped up in a multitude of trade rumors. The team he’s being linked to most at the moment is the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Cavaliers have certainly shown that they’re taking an aggressive approach to this off-season. With that in mind, would Bridges even make sense on the team? Here’s a look at whether or not Cleveland should pursue Bridges.
Bridges has developed into a talented young player with seemingly high upside. He’s slowly become a better scorer, facilitator and more efficient on defense. His first season he averaged 7.5 points per game, then 13.0, then 12.7, 20.2 and finally 21.0 per game last season. He’s scored 30 or more points in 18 games, and 20 or more in 108 games.
This may be a case of a good player on a bad team, where his production is solid, but not so much that he can convert them to a winning team. However, he is shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 34.7 from deep in his career. This kind of consistency could certainly help the Cavaliers, at a position which they are lacking a standout favorite to start.
It must be a slam dunk acquisition then, right? With his production and consistency, he seems on paper to be the perfect fit. There are some caveats, though.
For one, Bridges is the most effective when he has the ball in his hands for extended periods of time. Sure he’ll get chances with the Cavaliers, but he would be relegated to the third, fourth or even fifth scoring option.
Then there’s also the issue of his off-court actions. Being a player with a tendency to get into trouble like Bridges is always a roll of the dice when entering the locker room. That’s not to say that all people who play basketball are expected to be perfect, but a major part of Cleveland’s ascension in recent seasons is due to the culture they’ve fostered among players, staff and fans. While it’s not certain Bridges would disrupt that, it is a possibility that the Cavaliers are absolutely considering.
If Cleveland does decide to pull the trigger on Bridges, though, he’s the exact kind of player they’re looking for. Maybe not with the highest ceiling, or with the cleanest reputation, but basketball-wise (on paper) could be an excellent fit with the Cavaliers. Cleveland just has to ask themselves, is that worth the potential risk?
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