To the surprise of no one, the Golden State Warriors have been surveying the open market to explore potential trades that could help extend the Stephen Curry era. The goal that can be surmised from most of rumors up to this point in time is finding an upgrade over embattled forward Jonathan Kuminga.
Though that's a logical goal considering the two sides have differing short-term and long-term visions, a recent rumor connecting the Warriors to Miles Bridges would act as a step back rather than progress.
Kuminga endured a grueling period of restricted free agency that ultimately saw the Warriors re-sign him to a deal that seemingly expedited a future trade. It's still possible that Golden State could move the former top-10 pick, but their options are looking less ideal than anticipated.
According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, the Warriors are one of several teams to have expressed interest in trading for Bridges.
"As for Hornets that might be on the move, veteran forward Miles Bridges is drawing significant interest, league sources told The Athletic. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are all known to be among the interested parties, though it remains to be seen if any team can compel the Hornets to give Bridges up...They want a first (round pick),” one league source said. “Maybe two.”
Though the Charlotte Hornets forward is talented, his strengths and weaknesses are far too similar to Kuminga's to justify a potential trade.
Miles Bridges gets Warriors no closer to a title than Jonathan Kuminga
Giving up a first-round draft pick, let alone two, for Bridges offers reason enough to conclude any future conversations before they can even begin. Though he's a talented player, the Warriors could find better uses for draft capital than a player they can only hope can translate their game to a winning environment.
That's particularly true when one evaluates the fact that Bridges' weaknesses are the same as Kuminga's, only he's four years older: Shot selection, off-ball defense, and three-point shooting.
Bridges, who will turn 28 in March, is a career 33.9 percent shooter from beyond the arc. He's hit that mark just twice in his career: When he shot 40.0 percent in 2020-21 and when he converted 34.9 percent of his attempts in 2023-24.
Bridges has shot 33.2 percent or worse from distance in each of the other five seasons he's played, including the 2025-26 campaign.
Miles Bridges has a hefty contract, same flaws as Jonathan Kuminga
Part of his inefficiency can be attributed to the Hornets' general struggles, but shot selection is a serious issue, as well. He ranks in the fifth percentile in one on one shot making, the 17th percentile in both one on one shot making efficiency and three-point shot quality, and the 20th percentile in overall shot quality, per Basketball Index.
Even if the Warriors want to believe that they can help Bridges erase some of his negative tendencies, there's too much risk considering he has another year on his contract at more than $22.8 million.
Furthermore, while Bridges has shown flashes of being an excellent isolation defender, he ranks in the third percentile in ball screen navigation and the 40th percentile in off-ball chaser defense. Each of those statistics reflects how his off-ball defense is a glaring issue.
It's easy to see why the Warriors would be intrigued by his talent, but based on the opportunity cost and how similar he is to Kuminga, there's no rational way to proceed with this deal when better options exist.