4 Hornets Who Won't Be Back Next Season
The Charlotte Hornets had a season that they would like to forget immediately. These four players will likely not be around for much longer to help get things back on track.
By Cem Yolbulan
The Charlotte Hornets are about to finish a season they will want to forget immediately. Ravaged by injuries all year and underwhelming even when they had their full roster, the Hornets missed the playoffs for the eighth straight season.
Naturally, there will be changes following back-to-back losing seasons. Steve Clifford is already out the door and there will be a new head coach announced soon. However, the changes will not stop there.
There should be significant changes to the roster as well. The team already moved on from veterans Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier, and PJ Washington at the trade deadline and that trend should continue in the offseason. Here are some Hornets who are unlikely to return next season.
Miles Bridges
Bridges had a healthy and productive season, averaging 21.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. However, he wasn't as efficient or defensively disruptive as he was previously. Regardless, he is still a two-way starter who could make an on-court impact on any team.
The Hornets don't have Bird rights on Bridges, meaning that he is treated as an unrestricted free agent and Charlotte would have to sacrifice salary cap to sign him. Considering that the Hornets are starting a new chapter with new ownership and a new head coach, they might be better off moving on from the off-court issues and distractions that come with having Bridges on the team.