Brandon Miller is walking into a season that could define how the Hornets see him.
Charlotte has handed him a much bigger stage after reshaping the roster around him and Kon Knueppel, and the message is clear: the ball is in their hands now. That puts Miller under the brightest spotlight yet, especially with no long-term extension in place and restricted free agency looming next offseason.
The Hornets’ direction changed fast. After finishing 44-38 last season and going 18-9 after the All-Star break, Charlotte looked like a team finally finding its footing.
It won its play-in opener at home against the Heat, then fell one win short of the No. 8 seed before Orlando ended the run and claimed the final playoff spot. Even in defeat, the Hornets had something worth building on: a young core, lively shotmaking and an offense that could outrun teams.
Then the front office blew it up.
LaMelo Ball was traded to the Timberwolves and Miles Bridges was dealt to the Suns, leaving Miller and Knueppel as the franchise’s new focal points. Charlotte also brought in stronger role players and extra draft capital, giving the organization flexibility now and options later.
Miller, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 draft, is the obvious swing piece. He missed most of his second NBA season because of a wrist injury, then came back last year and put up 20.2 points per game while hitting 38.3% of his 8.2 three-point attempts per game. With Ball and Bridges gone, there are more shots available than ever.
But not everyone around the league is sold on him as a future No. 1.
“Miller could be a great small forward if he develops the work ethic to be that,” an anonymous scout told Sports Illustrated. “I look at him and I don’t see the physical development.
I don’t see the work in the weight room. If you're going to match up against NBA small forwards, you have to get stronger.
He wants to be like Jayson Tatum and those types of guys, but you have to put on muscle and weight for that. So I think he wants it, but I don't know if he's willing to do what it takes to get to it.”
That same scout still sees the upside.
“Miller has the talent to be a No. 1, but I don't know if he has the work ethic to be a No. 1,” the scout told SI.
“I think he's that talented to say, ‘Man, if this dude put in the work, got physically bigger, and just kept working on his game and was like a gym rat, he could be a No. 1 with his size, athleticism, shooting, all of it.’ It's just sometimes mentality is what makes you a No. 1.”
Knueppel brings his own intrigue. The fourth pick in the 2025 draft led the NBA in threes last season and shattered rookie shooting records, nearly taking Rookie of the Year from Duke teammate and close friend Cooper Flagg.
He was one of the league’s most impactful rookies and played a major role in Charlotte’s rise. But the same question hangs over him too: can he be the lead guy, or does he need someone else to create the shots?
“Knueppel had a great year. He is a heck of a shooter.
Impressed me more than I thought he would,” the scout said. “But for those two players [Miller and Knueppel], you need a point guard.
Maybe they knew LaMelo's not winning games. He's more about flash.
But now they're going to have to go find a real point guard that can do it.
“Knueppel is a really, really good shooter, but he has to play off somebody. Somebody else has to be able to help him get those shots. You can't be a No. 1 if you can't get your shot.”
That’s part of the challenge for Charlotte this season. Coby White, who came over at the trade deadline last year, signed a three-year, $74 million deal and is now the team’s lead guard.
He came off the bench last season, but his role is much larger now with Ball gone. The Hornets also added Dennis Schröder, which gave first-round pick Christian Anderson more time to develop into the facilitator the team hopes he can become.
Charlotte’s veteran additions should help steady the group. Naz Reid gives Charles Lee a reliable starter who can defend and space the floor.
Grayson Allen and Royce O’Neale add more shooting and experience. The team also brought in Hannes Steinbach, who could grow into a long-term answer at center, while Moussa Diabaté looks to build on a strong year in Charlotte.
For Miller, though, this is the season that matters most. The Hornets are giving him the runway to become the face of the franchise. Whether he takes that step - and whether he does enough to convince people he belongs there - will be one of the biggest storylines in Charlotte.
The roster is deeper, the pressure is heavier, and the expectations are different. Even if the Hornets slip back toward the bottom of the East, they have enough pieces to stay competitive and possibly hang around the play-in race again if the young core grows quickly.
Either way, this much is clear: Charlotte has reset the table, and Miller is the one who has to show he can eat.
In Other News...
Kon Knueppels Camp Update Leaves Hornets With An Early Concern
Kon Knueppels first Hornets training camp has opened with a familiar kind of offseason caution, as the rookie wing continues working back from a left hamstring injury. The good news is the pain is gone, and the focus now is on rebuilding strength as Charlotte begins sorting out its rotation and getting a look at how Knueppel fits into the mix.
The concern, though, is less about discomfort and more about timing. Charlotte has already ruled him out of all four preseason games, and the team plans to take another look during the first week of the regular season, leaving his status for opening night very much up in the air as camp gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Hawks Just Added Two Names Worth Watching In Camp
The Hawks used one of their latest camp moves to add a little more depth and flexibility, signing forward Cameron Corhen and guard Kobe Johnson to fill two open spots on a 21-man training camp roster. Both additions point to the usual late-summer roster churn around the league, where non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 deals can give teams a closer look at young players while keeping the path open to the G League if the NBA spot does not stick.
Johnson already has familiar ground in the organization as a returning rights player for the College Park Skyhawks, while Corhen arrives as an undrafted forward out of Pittsburgh trying to carve out a role. Elsewhere in the same wave of transactions, Miami added Lester Quinones on an Exhibit 10 deal and Detroit waived Bryson Warren with an eye toward its G League affiliate, underscoring how many of these camp moves are really about the long game rather than the immediate roster. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Still Face A Brandon Miller Decision That Could Reshape Plans
Brandon Millers next contract has become one of the most important items on the Hornets offseason to-do list, even with training camp and the new season drawing closer. Charlotte has not signed the young wing to a rookie-scale extension, leaving his long-term status tied to the kind of decision that can shape how a rebuilding team budgets, plans, and prioritizes its core pieces.
The Hornets still have a window to work through the details, but the clock is moving and the stakes are clear for a franchise trying to build around its young talent. Millers development has already made him a central figure in Charlottes future, and what happens on his deal will ripple into how the team approaches the year ahead and the seasons beyond it. [Read more 🡒]