Brandon Miller is in line for a massive payday, and the number being floated is eye-opening: a $220 million extension from the Hornets.
That kind of projection only makes sense if Charlotte believes Miller is ready to take the kind of leap that changes a franchise’s direction. Reid said he saw Edwards raise his game in Year 4, and with Miller entering Year 4 this season, the belief is that he can follow the same path in Minnesota.
The Hornets are clearly preparing to put the offense in Miller’s hands. Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges in the offseason, which should push Miller’s usage rate way up. Head coach Charles Lee is widely expected to open the season with Coby White, Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté in the starting lineup.
Miller’s numbers from last season already show why the organization is betting on him. In 65 games during his third NBA season, he averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 89.2% at the line.
His career line is strong, too. Miller enters this season with averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, and Charlotte is treating him like the centerpiece now.
Knueppel is part of that new core as well. Even without winning the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he put together a standout season for the Hornets, averaging 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from deep and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He also led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Reid brings another layer to the mix. Hornets fans are eager to see how he fits alongside the younger talent after he won the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award.
He enters the season with regular-season averages of 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, plus playoff averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. Last season in Minnesota, he posted 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game, shot 45.6% from the field, 36.2% from 3 and 73.2% from the free-throw line, and had six double-doubles.
Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, with the home opener set for the Atlanta Hawks.
The bigger picture in Charlotte is hard to miss: with Ball and Bridges gone, Miller and Knueppel are now the franchise’s main faces. Both are still young and still have plenty of room to grow, and the next question is how Reid fits into that picture.
In Other News...
Hornets Already Have A Point Guard Problem After Moving LaMelo
Moving on from LaMelo Ball was always going to reshape the Hornets backcourt, and the early returns have only made the point guard picture look more unsettled. Charlotte tried to patch things up by re-signing Coby White, drafting Christian Anderson Jr. and bringing in Dennis Schrder, a group that was supposed to keep the position steady while the franchise moved into its next phase.
Instead, the preseason has already brought more questions than answers. Anderson struggled in Summer League and is dealing with an injury, while White is sidelined with a calf issue and will miss preseason games, leaving Charlotte thin at the spot before the games even count. Ball, meanwhile, opened his Minnesota preseason looking comfortable in his new uniform, which only sharpens the contrast for Hornets fans still waiting to see whether the team's next answer at point guard is actually in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Injury Creates An Early Hornets Concern
Brandon Millers preseason has already hit a small snag for the Hornets, with the second-year wing dealing with a shin contusion he picked up in practice. Charlotte has been taking the cautious route, keeping him day-to-day as the team works through the opening weeks of exhibition play and prepares for its next preseason test against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Millers absence from the recent game against the Brooklyn Nets added a little more early-season concern, especially for a player whose development remains central to Charlottes plans. There is already outside buzz about a possible long-term extension down the road, but for now the Hornets are focused on getting Miller back on the floor and making sure a preseason bump does not linger. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Already Feels Like A Huge Part Of Charlottes Reset
Before Charlottes first preseason game against Brooklyn, Charles Lee was already talking about Naz Reid like a player who can help steady the Hornets new direction. The big man arrived from Minnesota as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, and his first taste of a Charlotte uniform offered a quick glimpse of why the team wanted him in the mix as it starts over with a reshaped roster.
Reid wasted little time showing he can bring scoring and activity in short bursts, and that matters for a Hornets group still sorting out how its pieces fit together around young talent such as Miller and Knueppel. With the season just getting underway, Charlotte is trying to establish roles and identity, and Reids early return has at least given the coaching staff one more reason to believe the reset can take hold sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]