Washington Wizards: 4 players the Wizards should target during trade season

Miles Bridges

The Hornets are rumored to be making Miles Bridges available in trade talks, and, if true, the Wizards should jump at the chance to grab the former 12th pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Bridges made a huge leap in his sophomore season, nearly doubling his points per game average — up from 7.5 in 2018-19 to 13.0 last season — while also increasing his assist and rebound per game averages. Offensively, Bridges is aggressive in attacking the basket and is an impressive aerial player. For what it’s worth, he’d walk onto the Wizards as the team’s best dunker. But he has also improved his three-point shooting since entering the league.

Last season, Bridges shot 33.0 percent on 4.6 three-point attempts each game. It was a slight increase in accuracy, up from 32.5 percent his rookie season, on a whole lot more volume. Bridges only attempted 2.5 threes per game as a rookie. Not quite a sharpshooter, but Bridges is a capable outside threat that has only gotten better in his two NBA season.

On the other end of the floor, Bridges served as a primary perimeter defender for the Hornets a lot last season. However, that could have had more do with a lack of talent in Charlotte than anything else. Bridges is a decent defender at best, but his uber athleticism does allow him to recover in ways that less gifted athletes can’t.

He’s not entirely refined, but Bridges can do more than jump high and dunk hard, as his reputation might suggest. The Wizards are no stranger to bringing in young wings that need some work. They’ve taken more than one of those fliers in the past 18 months. Still just 22 years old, Bridges is brimming with upside.

Miles Bridges is set to make $3.9 million during the 2020-21 season, an additional $5.4 million during the 2021-22 season, and will have the option to sign a $7.4 million qualifying offer for the 2022-23 season.