Miles Bridges agrees to notable plea deal in domestic violence case

Mar 23, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges (0) looks on in a time out during the first half against the New York Knicks at the Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Miles Bridges is getting a break in his recent domestic violence case.

ESPN’s Baxter Holmes reported on Thursday that the Charlotte Hornets restricted free agent Bridges has reached an agreement with prosecutors to plead no contest to a felony domestic violence charge. Bridges will now face three years of probation but (notably) no jail time.

The 24-year-old forward got arrested in June over an alleged assault on his then-girlfriend. Bridges originally had three felony charges filed against him by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office and pled not guilty to all three. However, this week’s deal with prosecutors will have Bridges instead plead no contest to one charge while the other two are dismissed.

Holmes adds that Bridges, as part of his three-year probation, will have to (among other things) undergo 52 weeks of domestic violence counseling, do 100 hours of community service, and pay both a restitution and a domestic violence fine. You can read Holmes’ full reporting on the situation here.

Bridges, a former lottery pick, had a career year for the Hornets last season, averaging 20.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. He became a restricted free agent over the summer. But Charlotte notably did not rescind Bridges’ one-year qualifying offer upon his arrest, meaning that he remains a restricted free agent.

It is uncertain if Bridges will get another shot in the NBA (Holmes also notes that the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement allows the league to still fine, suspend, or dismiss and disqualify Bridges since he pleaded no contest). But since Bridges has managed to avoid jail time with this week’s plea deal, the likelihood of his NBA career continuing just increased.