Adam Silver defends Miles Bridges' ‘de facto’ 10-game suspension, but critics aren't buying it

The NBA has faced controversy following the suspension of Miles Bridges, who was charged with felony domestic violence. Bridges was suspended for 30 games, but the NBA has now confirmed that he will only miss 10 games if he signs a contract with a team. The league stated that Bridges missed the entire 2022-23 season after being arrested the night before free agency began and was unable to find a team for the rest of the season.

The league explained that Bridges and the NBA had a "mutual agreement" for him to not play this season, with Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, taking great care to avoid calling it a suspension. Silver noted that Bridges will still lose 30 games of pay, even if he only has to miss 10 games with his next NBA team.

Despite this, Bridges has acted in ways that contradict this "mutual agreement." For instance, he was reportedly working toward a new deal with the Hornets in December after his domestic violence conviction, and he visited the team during a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. In February, Bridges stated that he "might be back in March."

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It is unclear why the suspension was presented as 30 games when Bridges had already missed the entire season due to the alleged "mutual agreement." Adam Silver has defended the decision, noting that it seemed like the right thing to do because Bridges missed the entire season. However, the NBA's handling of the situation has left many confused and questioning the league's stance on domestic violence.