4 radioactive free agents the Cavaliers could sign at a discount

Radioactive Free Agent No. 1: Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets

Finally, we come to the most radioactive of them all. Miles Bridges sat out all of last season after he was arrested for domestic abuse allegations. He originally faced three domestic violence-related charges but ultimately pleaded no contest to one felony charge in November. His sentence did not include jail time but came with a list of requirements, including drug testing, community services and counseling.

The NBA suspended Bridges for 30 games, which overlapped with his year away from the league with no pay that the league admitted it orchestrated as well. For some, Bridges will have appropriately served his NBA punishment by the time he retakes the court; for others, his actions will be forever inexcusable.

The result for Bridges and NBA teams is that he is a highly toxic player to sign to a major NBA contract. The Charlotte Hornets hold his restricted free agent rights; will they sign him to a middle-of-the-road contract (not the max he would have signed last summer, but something more than his qualifying offer) or will they renounce him and let another team take on the burden of signing him?

This isn’t a suggestion that the Cavaliers should sign Miles Bridges. They might decide they don’t want him as a part of their team culture, or that the shockwaves through their fan base may not be worth it. They also might not be able to if another team, be it Charlotte or someone else, decides they are comfortable offering him more than the MLE. If he is as radioactive as he seems, however, it may be a possibility that the Cavs consider and could accomplish committing even $12 million a year to Bridges.

The on-court fit with Bridges is undeniable, but the off-court situation dominates his story right now. As with all four of these players, the Cavaliers can’t only evaluate each for their on-court fit, but they have to count the cost off-the-court as well.