NBA Southeast

Warning: article contains graphic allegations of domestic violence.

---

Mychelle Johnson detailed allegations against her husband, Charlotte Hornets forward Miles Bridges, who was charged with felony domestic violence following his arrest earlier this week, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Johnson posted several photos of bruises on her body on Instagram on Thursday night, along with hospital discharge paperwork that showed her injuries included a concussion, fracture of the nasal bone, rib contusion, neck muscle strain and bruises.

She also included a video of her son saying, "Daddy choked Mommy."

Here are the full comments Johnson posted alongside the pictures:

I hate that it has come to this but I can't be silent anymore. I've allowed someone to destroy my home, abuse me in every way possible and traumatize our kids for life. I have nothing to prove to the world, but I won't allow anyone who could do something so horrible to have no remorse and paint a picture of something I'm not. I won't allow the people around him to continue to silence me and continue to lie to protect this person. It's unethical, it's immoral, it's truly SICK. It hurts my heart because I've always had hope, and so much love and as scary as this is for me to do it's time I stand up for myself. I won't be silent to protect others anymore because I value myself and my kids more than anyone's 'image.'

A fracture nose, wrist, torn eardrum, torn muscles in my neck from being choked until I went to sleep and a severe concussion. I don't need sympathy, I just don't want this happening to anyone else, I just want this person to get help, my kids deserve better. That's all i want. It hurts, everything hurts, this situation hurts, most importantly I'm scared and hurting for my kids who were witness to everything. Please respect my families privacy and stop with the disgusting rumors and allegations.

TMZ Sports reported Bridges was arrested and booked after a woman called police on Tuesday saying they had an argument that turned physical. He fled the area before police arrived but turned himself in on Wednesday.

The Los Angeles Police Department confirmed to ESPN that Bridges was released after posting $130,000 bond. His first court date is scheduled for July 20.

Bridges hasn't commented on the allegations, but he was shown on video going through a basketball workout on Thursday, per TMZ.

The 24-year-old Michigan native is a restricted free agent after being extended a qualifying offer by the Hornets before the start of NBA free agency.

Charlotte released a statement Wednesday following Bridges' arrest:

The Charlotte Hornets released the following statement regarding Miles Bridges. pic.twitter.com/D0qBzVKQQ3

— Charlotte Hornets PR (@HornetsPR) June 30, 2022

Bridges, who played college basketball at Michigan State, has spent his first four NBA seasons with the Hornets after being selected in the first round of the 2018 draft.

During his time in Charlotte, Bridges has played in 291 games and averaged 13.4 points per outing. In 2021-22, he averaged a career-high 20.2 points per game.

Veteran guard Delon Wright reportedly agreed to a two-year, $16 million deal with the Washington Wizards on Thursday, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Wright set career highs in all of the major categories in 2020-21 as his minutes climbed the highest they had ever been. He averaged 10.2 points, 4.4 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 46.3 percent from the floor and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

The 30-year-old didn't get to enjoy a lot of winning, though. He started the season with the rebuilding Detroit Pistons and then moved to the Sacramento Kings, which once again missed the playoffs.

The Atlanta Hawks acquired Wright last August, which put him back on a contending team, albeit in a lesser role behind Trae Young and Kevin Huerter in the backcourt.

In 77 games with Atlanta, the 6'5" guard averaged 4.4 points and 2.4 assists in 18.9 minutes on the floor. Per Basketball Reference, his 10.3 percent usage rate was his lowest ever and well below his career average (15.6 percent).

If defense to offense real quick was a person 🔥 @delonwright x @Verizon pic.twitter.com/b2c6P0D9mO

— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) May 20, 2022

Following his team's first-round playoff exit, Wright told reporters he was interested in re-signing, and The Athletic's Chris Kirschner reported May 10 the feeling was mutual.

It wasn't hard to see why the Hawks wanted the 2015 first-round pick back, though it obviously didn't come to fruition.

Wright is a steady playmaker, averaging 5.2 assists to 1.7 turnovers per 36 minutes across his career. He's also a good enough shooter (35.4 percent on threes) to keep opposing teams honest and a dogged defender (2.0 steals per 36) on the other end of the floor.

Perhaps most importantly, Wright understands his strengths and is content to remain a backup. The NBA is a star-driven league, but the right rotation pieces are critical toward assembling a playoff roster.

Wright will provide plenty of experience and steady production. The Wizards have been busy adding backcourt help for Bradley Beal this offseason, with Monte Morris and Will Barton also added via trade.

Udonis Haslem might no longer make much of an on-court contribution, but the 42-year-old was a priority for the Miami Heat in free agency:

To show his continued importance and value to the franchise, the Miami Heat sent a delegation of employees to make a free agency pitch to Udonis Haslem promptly at 6pm tonight with hopes of luring him back for Year 20.

— Tim Reynolds (@ByTimReynolds) June 30, 2022

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel added that the Heat personnel visited Haslem at his vacation home in Orlando.

Haslem has spent his entire 19-year NBA career with the Heat, helping the team win three NBA titles in this stretch.

The center has seen his playing time dwindle in recent years, appearing in just 13 games in 2021-22 while averaging 6.4 minutes and 2.5 points. He has made just 58 total regular-season appearances over the last six seasons.

Haslem's leadership within the locker room was still enough to keep him on the roster throughout this stretch. He re-signed with the team on a one-year deal last year and the organization essentially gave him the green light to keep coming back.

"The Heat have made it clear that Haslem will be allowed to retire on his terms, whenever he so chooses," Winderman reported last year.

Haslem still must decide if he wants to be back for a 20th season. He was unsure of his future as of May, saying he needed to speak with team president Pat Riley and governor Micky Arison.

"I will take my time and sit down the family, Pat, Micky and talk about what's next and where it goes," Haslem told reporters. "Now is time to take a mental break and figure it out."

Thursday's demonstration showed in no uncertain terms that the Heat want Haslem back, whether he wants to come back remains to be seen.

Miami earned the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference last season before losing to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

The Miami Heat and veteran guard Victor Oladipo have agreed to a one-year, $11 million deal that will keep him in South Florida, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Oladipo joined the Heat during the 2020-21 season in a trade from the Houston Rockets. However, he only appeared in four games for the franchise before suffering a quad injury that sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

Despite only appearing in four games, Miami re-signed the 30-year-old to a one-year deal in August 2021. At the time, The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania reported that he would return to the open market in 2022 in hopes of signing a big contract.

Oladipo then missed most of the 2021-22 season while recovering from surgery on his quadriceps tendon. He didn't make his debut until March 8 and was in and out of the lineup after that.

In eight regular-season games, the Indiana product averaged 12.4 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 47.9 percent from the floor and 41.7 percent from deep. He also appeared in 15 playoff games, averaging 10.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals.

It's no surprise Miami opted to re-sign Oladipo. When healthy, he is one of the most effective guards in the NBA. During the 2017-18 season, his last fully healthy year, he averaged 23.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 47.7 percent from the floor and 37.1 percent from deep in 75 games en route to an All-Star selection.

That said, Oladipo should play a significant role in Miami's rotation during the 2022-23 season. If he can stay healthy, the Heat will again be one of the most feared teams in the Eastern Conference.

Guard Bradley Beal is set to remain with the Washington Wizards for the long haul after agreeing to a lucrative five-year, $251 million supermax contract extension, his agent Mark Bartelstein told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

All-Star guard Bradley Beal has agreed to a five-year, $251 million maximum contract to stay with the Washington Wizards, his agent Mark Bartelstein of @PrioritySports tells ESPN.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022

Beal had become an unrestricted free agent after opting out of the final year of his contract with the Wizards.

The 29-year-old Beal has developed into one of the NBA's best offensive shooting guards since the Wizards selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft out of the University of Florida.

During his 10-year career, Beal has earned three All-Star nods and boasts averages of 22.1 points, 4.2 assists, 4.1 rebounds, 2.2 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals per game in 645 contests.

He has also been a relatively efficient scorer, shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 37.2 percent from beyond the arc.

After averaging over 22.0 points per game in three consecutive seasons, Beal began to enter elite territory in 2019-20 when he averaged 30.5 points per game, which was a career high to that point.

He got even better the following year, averaging 31.3 points while shooting a career-best 48.5 percent from the floor. Beal also received his first All-NBA selection that year, making the All-NBA Third Team.

Expectations were through the roof for Beal entering last season, but a wrist injury that required surgery limited him to a career-low 40 games.

Even when he played, Beal had his worst scoring output in years, averaging 23.2 points and 1.6 three-pointers made per game. He also shot a career-worst 30 percent from three-point range.

Beal did average a career-high 6.6 assists per game, however, illustrating the lack of help he had in Washington's backcourt.

While Beal never publicly asked for a trade or expressed a desire to leave Washington, there was some speculation that he would leave for greener pastures.

In addition to the Wizards failing to provide him with a quality backcourt running mate, the team hasn't enjoyed much success over the years, reaching the playoffs just once in the past four seasons and not winning a playoff series since 2017.

Despite that, Beal remains committed to making the Wizards a contender, and re-signing with the franchise is a move that could potentially lure in other quality players to Washington via free agency.

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant reportedly requested a trade from the franchise on Thursday, and many teams around the NBA are expected to pursue the two-time NBA champion.

One of those teams could be the Hornets as it appears LaMelo Ball would like to team up with Durant in Charlotte. The rising star posted a picture of himself and the Nets veteran to his Instagram story on Thursday:

LaMelo Ball on IG 👀 pic.twitter.com/OLHeESWmrt

— Dylan Jackson (@djdotpng) June 30, 2022

It's unclear if Durant would be open to joining the Hornets. His preferred destinations are the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

However, Wojnarowski added that the Nets are going to accept the best possible deal for Durant. So, if the Hornets can put together an enticing enough package, he could be playing alongside Ball next season.

Despite rumblings that Jalen Brunson is going to meet with multiple teams, one of the clubs he's been connected to reportedly doesn't have anything scheduled with him when free agency begins.

Per Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press, the Miami Heat aren't planning to meet with Brunson, nor was any such meeting on the books for Thursday.

Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes reported on Wednesday that Brunson is scheduled to meet with the New York Knicks and Dallas Mavericks on the first day of free agency.

Haynes, who cited the Heat as a "darkhorse team in play" for Brunson, noted they have secured a meeting with the 25-year-old, but he didn't specify if that was also going to happen on Thursday.

The Heat would have to work out a sign-and-trade deal with the Mavs if that's where Brunson decides he wants to play.

It's widely assumed that Brunson is going to end up signing with the Knicks. They have made a series of trades leading up to the start of free agency in an attempt to clear out enough cap space to add a large salary.

Per The Athletic's Tim Cato, the Mavericks have been "anticipating" Brunson's likely departure for weeks, and "it’s now seen as a certainty" that he will end up in New York when free agency opens.

According to Haynes, the Knicks are prepared to offer Brunson $110 million over four years. ESPN's Tim MacMahon noted the Mavs' cutoff for the Villanova alum is "more than Fred VanVleet money," which is $110 million over five years ($22 million per season).

It's not impossible for the Heat to end up getting a meeting with Brunson, but they also have other big decisions to make this offseason. B/R's Jake Fischer reported Tyler Herro will likely get an extension worth around $25 million per season.

Miami had the best record in the Eastern Conference last season (53-29), but they lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

Brunson is coming off a breakout 2021-22 campaign in Dallas. He set career highs in scoring average (16.3 points per game), assists (4.8) and rebounds (3.9).

Given all of the uncertainty that's been around the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks general manager Travis Schlenk was preparing to make a trade offer for Kevin Durant.

Per The Athletic's Chris Kirschner and Sam Amick, the Hawks were keeping an eye on the Nets' situation with Kyrie Irving and were "seriously preparing for the possibility" that Durant might ask for a trade.

After Irving opted into his Nets contract for 2022-23, Atlanta turned its attention toward Dejounte Murray.

The Hawks agreed to acquire the All-Star guard from the San Antonio Spurs in exchange for Danilo Gallinari, three first-round picks and a 2026 pick swap on Wednesday, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Irving told Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Monday he was opting in to his $36.5 million salary for next season.

The move came after weeks of speculation that Irving might opt out and look to sign with another team or pursue potential sign-and-trade deals.

Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Los Angeles Lakers were the only team known to be pursuing a sign-and-trade for Irving, but the Nets had "no interest" in any of the packages being offered by Los Angeles.

Amid all of the Irving talk, Charania reported last week that Durant was "monitoring" things with the Nets and "considering options with his future."

If Durant had formally requested a trade, every team in the league should have been lining up with their best offer to present to Brooklyn's front office.

It's not hard to see what the appeal of adding Durant would have been for the Hawks. The potential of pairing him with Trae Young would have given Atlanta two of the most dynamic scorers in the NBA.

The Hawks' defensive issues wouldn't have been fixed by trading for Durant, but teams can always figure out things on the margins when there are two superstars on the roster.

Despite not landing Durant, the Hawks did well to acquire Murray from the Spurs. The 25-year-old was named an All-Star for the first time in his career last season. He averaged 21.1 points, 9.2 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game.

Murray's 2.0 steals per game led the NBA. His ability as a perimeter defender and shot creator who can ease the burden on Young solves two huge problems that the Hawks had last season.

The Atlanta Hawks reportedly "remain engaged" in trade talks involving power forward John Collins after acquiring point guard Dejounte Murray in a blockbuster deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Thursday the Hawks are "signaling they are not done revamping the roster," which could include moving Collins, one of the franchise's cornerstones since it selected him in the first round of the 2017 NBA draft.

Atlanta reached the 2021 Eastern Conference Finals before falling short against the eventual NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks. They couldn't match that playoff success this past season, getting eliminated by the Miami Heat in the opening round.

In May, Hawks governor Tony Ressler lamented the team's lack of roster upgrades last offseason, when the front office mostly bet on continued improvement from its existing core.

"So yes, I think we should have tried to get better rather than bring back what we had," Ressler told reporters. "That won't happen again, by the way. It was a mistake, in my opinion."

Making a trade for Murray, a 25-year-old rising star who made his first All-Star appearance in 2022, to form a backcourt duo with Trae Young was the first of a few major moves Atlanta could make before the new campaign tips off.

Trading Collins would be another one, but the question is what the Hawks would be seeking in return that would represent an upgrade to the roster.

Their guard starters are now set with Young and Murray, they have a rim-protecting center in Clint Capela, and there's a solid wing group in place, led by De'Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic and Kevin Huerter.

In turn, on the surface it seems a proven two-way producer like Collins is already a pretty good fit, but the trade rumors have persisted.

New general manager Landry Fields explained last week the team was going to place an emphasis on defense this summer.

"The identity defensively has been, well that's something we're going to have to build into," Fields said. "That's been part of the reason why we haven't taken that step. We have to have an everyday hard-hat approach to our defensive capabilities."

Perhaps Collins could be moved in a deal for another stalwart at that end of the floor. It's hard to argue with the approach after the team ranked 26th in defensive efficiency in 2021-22, per ESPN.

That said, Chris Kirschner of The Athletic told HoopsHype's Michael Scotto on Wednesday the market for Collins has "decreased quite a bit" and the Hawks aren't going to move on from the 24-year-old Wake Forest product "for nothing."

So Collins could end up staying in Atlanta to open next season, and it could ultimately be one of those moves viewed in hindsight where the team is fortunate a trade wasn't made.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors are reportedly expected to pursue Mo Bamba in free agency after he didn't receive a qualifying offer from the Orlando Magic.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported Thursday the Magic haven't ruled out bringing the 24-year-old center back, but they've "set a price for Bamba and are unwilling to go above it," which could allow the Lakers or Raptors to make a free-agent splash.

After three years as a reserve, Bamba stepped into the Orlando starting lineup and produced his best statistical season in 2021-22. He averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, 1.5 threes and 1.2 assists while shooting 48 percent from the field, including 38.1 percent from beyond the arc, in 71 appearances.

Those improved numbers combined with his 7'0'', 231-pound frame and 7'10'' wingspan make him one of the most high-upside free agents available this summer despite his inconsistency across four NBA seasons.

In April, Bamba expressed interest in staying with the Magic despite the contract uncertainty.

"I want to be here," he told reporters. "I just want to make that clear. I'll let that stuff handle itself and continue to work."

Now he'll at least get an opportunity to hear pitches from other organizations before deciding whether to return to Orlando.

The Lakers are looking for an infusion of talent around the core tandem of LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Moving Russell Westbrook's contract is unlikely, which means the front office will probably have to rely on a series of smaller moves rather than a blockbuster.

Signing Bamba would allow Davis to play the 4, his preferred position, and give the Lakers more potential on the interior after using a variety of veteran options, including Dwight Howard and DeAndre Jordan, at the 5 last season.

Meanwhile, the Raptors are also seeking an upgrade at center to fill out the frontcourt alongside Pascal Siakam. The combination of Bamba and Siakam (7'3'' wingspan) could create some real issues for opponents trying to attack the rim.

It's quite possible other teams emerge as potential suitors in the coming days, as Bamba's inclusion in the free-agent class came a bit late after the qualifying offer wasn't tendered.

His occasional flashes of All-Star potential are enough to warrant a multiyear contract with the hope he can take his game to that next level with a change of scenery.