Hornets mailbag: What could Miles Bridges’ contract look like? Will Charlotte trade a vet?

Get ready.

Free agency tips off Friday evening when teams can begin negotiating with players, marking the next step in a huge offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. They have question marks surrounding the futures of several key players and big decisions that will shape the team’s direction leading into LaMelo Ball’s fourth season.

In this latest mailbag, we answer reader queries about what a contract for Miles Bridges could look like, the possibility of either Gordon Hayward or Terry Rozier being traded, should fans be concerned about Brandon Miller off the court and more:

Assuming they are bringing back Miles, what kind of contract would he get? @_R_M_M — via Twitter

That’s a hard one to give a pinpoint answer because it can go a number of ways, especially if you are basing it off the financial terms of a $7.9 million qualifying offer. Securing a lengthy deal depends on what kind of market there is for Bridges beyond the Hornets’ interest. It may be difficult for him to get anything beyond maybe three years max just because of the situation he is dealing with and the uncertainty of how good he will be after a year off.

The guess here is this deal could be a multi-year deal layered in options (team or player) and incentives to increase the dollar value. Another strategy would be for Bridges to bet on himself and sign the qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent next year, giving him freedom to decide whatever he pleases.

Either way, Bridges’ deal could take some time to come together.

Concern level with Miles Bridges working out with other players from different teams? — @Brad_Marsh10 via Twitter

Zero. Players work out with other players all the time, particularly in the offseason. Think about it, if you’re one of the best athletes in the world in the NBA, then what better way to test your skills and any new moves that you are trying to practice against some of the premier talent that you may face in the regular season? You shouldn’t be alarmed at all that Miles is practicing with other players

Realistic outlook on next season? — @FanaticBryce via Twitter

Although the roster is not complete, and we won’t know for sure how it will look for a couple of weeks, make no mistake about it. Without a doubt, it’s the playoffs or a bust for the Hornets next season. With new ownership in place and a seven-year playoff drought that’s the longest in the NBA, the Hornets can’t settle for anything less than a postseason berth next season or else someone may have to pay the price for yet another fruitless campaign in Charlotte.

What do you think the Hornets future with Kelly Oubre looks like? Do you think we re-sign him, or do you think he’ll leave in free agency? — @_SmoothBrain_ via Twitter

Let’s examine things realistically: After drafting Brandon Miller, with Miles Bridges expected back in the mix and factoring in Gordon Hayward, Cody Martin and Bryce McGowens, there is no room for Oubre. The wing position is crowded, and the Hornets will likely be better off using Oubre’s salary slot to bolster the roster in other places. Such as a backup combo guard or a veteran power forward.

Chances of either Gordon Hayward, Terry Rozier or both being moved before the season? — @TradingLong

From this vantage point, it’s entirely possible either Terry or Gordon could find themselves on another team before the start of next season. Dealing one of those veterans would provide some financial relief. The salaries of the two combine to comprise about 29% of the Hornets’ current salary cap.

Numbers-wise, Hayward is probably the more likely of the two candidates to be moved only because of his expiring contract. With the new CBA structured to make it more difficult to build super teams and tax franchises with bloated payrolls, there may be more emphasis put on shorter deals that help teams achieve payroll flexibility.

In Hayward’s case, his $31.5 million comes off the books after the season and he’d be a good one-year rental for a team vying for a deep postseason run. But If the right deal comes along, Rozier is definitely a candidate to be moved.

With the recent change in teams putting out bigger lineups, do you see Brandon Miller as our long-term 2 guard? @bclarry_1998 via Twitter

Whether it’s long term will depend on how he handles being in the backcourt with LaMelo in the early going, but the Hornets think he can play multiple positions. So Miller could very easily get plenty of time at shooting guard depending on how the roster looks going into training camp.

And from everything gathered on this end, on top of listening to team president/general manager Mitch Kupchak describe the due diligence the Hornets did while researching Miller leading up to the draft, there isn’t much concern about how the 20-year-old will fare in Charlotte. There’s another side to Miller that most don’t know and his parents shared unique examples of his generosity that show how much he enjoys helping others. Still, Miller is going to have to dig into being a true part of the Charlotte community and make sure his actions match his word.