Miles Bridges is back in the news for reasons that have nothing to do with basketball.
According to TMZ, Bridges and his former girlfriend, Mychelle Johnson, are once again locked in a legal dispute. Johnson is facing assault and battery charges tied to a custody exchange earlier this year, and she has described those charges as “false” and “frivolous” while accusing Bridges of trying to run her over with a golf cart during the same incident.
This latest round of conflict comes after Bridges previously secured a temporary restraining order against Johnson. In that case, he claimed she cyberstalked him and tried to damage his vehicle outside one of his games. Johnson denied those allegations.
The off-court situation adds another chapter to a stretch that already included a 10-game NBA suspension in 2023-24. That punishment followed an earlier domestic violence case that kept Bridges out for the entire 2022-23 season. The Suns acquired Bridges in a trade with the Hornets.
In Detroit, the Pistons and restricted free agent Jalen Duren still do not have a deal, and the talks appear to be stuck. Hunter Patterson of The Athletic reported that the team has shown little interest in pursuing a sign-and-trade, which leaves both sides with limited paths forward as negotiations continue.
Patterson also pointed out why a resolution would make sense for both sides. Duren’s age, production and the Pistons’ thin set of alternatives at center all make an agreement appealing, even if the market isn’t giving Detroit many easy options.
Orlando is dealing with a setback of its own. Magic rookie Izaiyah Nelson will have surgery after fracturing his left ankle in a Summer League game on Sunday. The team said the second-round pick is expected to return to basketball activities in three to four months, which puts his status for training camp and the start of the regular season in doubt.
Nelson signed a two-way contract after being drafted out of South Florida, and he had already made a strong early impression inside the organization, according to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel. Summer League coach DJ Bakker praised the rookie’s edge, saying, “His competitiveness and his motor are off the charts,” and added, “When a player has that type of a makeup and that type of a DNA, you feel comfortable going into battle with them.”
Nelson was named American Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year last season after transferring from Arkansas State to South Florida before entering the NBA Draft.
In Other News...
Paolo Banchero Just Put Real Pressure On Orlandos Next Step
Paolo Banchero is already setting a higher bar for himself as Orlando heads into the new season, and the timing matters. In a recent interview, the Magic forward talked through his personal goals and the teams bigger picture, making clear that he wants to sharpen his efficiency while taking on even more of the offensive load. He also pointed to the arrival of new head coach Sean Sweeney as part of the backdrop for what comes next, with the sense that Orlandos next step is supposed to be more than incremental.
Bancheros confidence extends beyond his own numbers, too. He sees a conference that can be attacked, and he believes the Magic have enough to make noise in the East if the group comes together the right way. For a team trying to turn promise into something sturdier, that kind of expectation is useful, but it also raises the standard in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Magic Summer League Win Came With One Concerning Development
The Magic kept their Summer League momentum going with a second straight win, but it took a little extra work to do it. Orlando erased a 15-point deficit, forced overtime after tying the game late in regulation and then finished off Portland, 112-105, even while resting second-year players Jase Richardson and Noah Penda after their heavy workloads in the first two games.
Lester Quinones provided the scoring punch with 30 points, giving Orlando another encouraging look at its depth. The bigger concern came when Izaiyah Nelson left early, leaving the Magic to monitor how the frontcourt rotation holds up as the team gets two days off before facing the 76ers. [Read more 🡒]