Thursday's NBA: Miles Bridges arrested on eve of free agency; Kevin Durant requests trade
Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges was arrested in California on the eve of NBA free agency after a warrant was issued, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
LAPD spokeswoman Lizeth Lomeli confirmed that Bridges was arrested on Wednesday but did not release details on the charges. TMZ reported that Bridges is facing felony domestic violence charges.
The Hornets said in a statement they “are aware of the situation involving Miles Bridges. We are in the process of gathering additional information. We will have no further comment at this time.”
Bridges’ agent, Rich Paul, has not immediately returned phone calls left by The Associated Press.
Bridges, the Hornets’ leading scorer last season, is set to become a restricted free agent and could command a max contract in the coming weeks. His arrest comes on the eve of NBA free agency, which begins Thursday night with teams able to speak with free agents.
The 24-year-old Bridges averaged career highs with 20.2 points and seven rebounds in what amounted to a breakout season for the four-year NBA veteran while playing alongside All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball.
Bridges, a Flint native who starred at Michigan State, also is a rapper who goes by the name RTB MB.
The Hornets extended Bridges a qualifying offer on Tuesday, which allows them a chance to match any offer sheet made by another team.
“As an organization we love Miles,” Hornets general manager Mitch Kupchak said Tuesday. “We are going to bring him back. He has been great for the franchise and I believe, with his work ethic, he’s only going to get better.”
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Bridges said after the season he wanted to return to the Hornets, but he recently changed his Twitter bio from “forward for the Charlotte Hornets” to “It’s me,” adding some intrigue to the situation.
Durant requests trade
Kevin Durant has requested a trade from the Nets, according to a person with direct knowledge of the seismic decision that undoubtedly will have teams scrambling to put together enormous offers for the perennial All-Star.
The Nets have been working with Durant to find a trade partner, and he has multiple teams on his preferred list, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because neither the player nor Brooklyn revealed any details publicly.
ESPN first reported Durant’s trade request, citing Phoenix and Miami as two of his preferred destinations. The bombshell came just hours before the NBA’s free-agent period for this summer was set to begin.
Durant is a 12-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, three-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time NBA champion. He also has four years and nearly $200 million remaining on his contract, which means that it may take a haul of players, draft picks or possibly both for a team to acquire him.
Durant spent three seasons with Brooklyn, not playing in the first of those years while he recovered from a torn Achilles. He averaged 29.9 points in 55 games last season, after leading the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Tokyo Games last summer.
The news on Durant came three days after Kyrie Irving decided to exercise his $37 million option to remain with Brooklyn this coming season.
Grizzlies' Jackson Jr. out up to 6 months with hurt foot
Memphis, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies forward-center and Michigan State standout Jaren Jackson Jr. will be sidelined up to six months after having surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot.
The Grizzlies announced Thursday that Jackson had the procedure Wednesday and is expected to make a full recovery.
The fourth overall pick in the 2018 draft is coming off his best season yet, playing a career-high 78 games after being limited to 11 games in his third NBA season. Jackson signed a multi-year extension on Oct. 18, 2021.
Jackson was voted to the NBA's All-Defensive first team after leading the league in total blocks with a franchise-record 177 blocks. He ranked fourth on the Grizzlies with 16.3 points a game in the regular season and 15.4 points in the playoffs, helping Memphis reach the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2015.