The Charlotte Hornets are heading into 2026-27 with a very different look, and the pressure now falls on Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel to steer the next phase of the franchise.
LaMelo Ball is gone after being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, ending that stretch of the Hornets’ story. Miles Bridges also moved on, with Charlotte sending him to the Phoenix Suns. That leaves the roster in the hands of younger pieces, and Miller and Knueppel are now the names that matter most.
Miller said he may not know exactly what the Hornets will become, but he knows the standard he expects.
“Do I know if we are going to be good or great?” Miller said.
“I know we are going to be a hard-working team. It’s not about who makes the most shots.
It’s about who can play consistently at 110% every night. I think that’s one thing we are going to take pride in.”
He also made it clear how he approaches losing.
“Every loss drives me,” Miller said. “I’m not a guy that takes losing well. Any games we lose, I would be looking for that one again.”
Charlotte’s playoff drought is still sitting there. The Hornets last reached the postseason in 2015-16, and while they’ve gotten to the NBA Play-In Tournament several times, they’ve never managed to break through into the actual field.
For Charlotte to even sniff that kind of jump, Miller has to play like the No. 2 pick the team drafted him to be in the 2023 NBA Draft. Last season, he put up 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals across 65 games.
Knueppel, meanwhile, arrived and immediately made noise as a rookie. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 0.7 steals per game, and he did a lot of damage from outside by shooting 42.5 percent from three-point range.
That shooting touch turned into record-breaking production. Knueppel set the NBA’s all-time rookie single-season three-pointer record and also broke the Hornets’ franchise single-season mark for threes in 2025-26.
Now both players are being asked to carry far more. If they can rise to the challenge, Charlotte could at least push into the playoff conversation, especially with the bottom of the Eastern Conference looking weaker.
The Hornets open the season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 21 before returning home to face the Atlanta Hawks on Oct. 23 in their home opener.
In Other News...
Hornets Face A Big Brandon Miller Decision At The Worst Time
Brandon Millers offseason has already become one of the more consequential storylines for Charlotte, and not just because the Hornets are preparing to lock in one of the franchises foundational young pieces. The expectation is that the team will finalize a rookie-scale extension before the deadline, a move that would underscore how central Miller is to the organizations plans as it continues to build around its young core.
The complication is timing. Miller is still rehabbing after left shoulder surgery for instability and has not yet been cleared for basketball activities, which makes the next stretch more delicate than the usual extension discussion. In a recent interview, he focused on recovery, readiness and the value of being available, while also stressing that the work has to be shared across the roster, a reminder that Charlottes optimism about the future is still tied to getting this part right. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Has One Big Obstacle In A Rare Hornets Award Push
Brandon Miller is suddenly in a spot the Hornets have not often found themselves in, with the young wing drawing early buzz as a Most Improved Player candidate for the 2026-27 season. After LaMelo Balls departure opened up a bigger offensive runway, Miller is expected to shoulder far more creation and scoring responsibility, and that kind of jump is exactly the sort of thing that can reshape an award race if the production follows.
The catch for Charlotte is visibility. A breakout season can only carry so much weight if voters are not seeing it enough, and with the Hornets no longer carrying the same national spotlight, Miller may have to make his case without the benefit of regular marquee exposure. That leaves his push in an unusual place: promising on paper, but still fighting for the kind of attention that often turns a strong season into an award winner. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets May Need One Player To Keep Their Defense From Slipping
Charlottes defensive rise last season was not just about Charles Lees system. It also had a lot to do with the way Moussa Diabat stabilized the middle after moving into the starting lineup, giving the Hornets a big man who could rebound, stay out of foul trouble and hold up as a rim protector while fitting the scheme in different ways. His presence helped the team look sturdier possession to possession, which mattered for a club that needed real defensive wins to keep games from getting away.
Now the question is whether that same backbone is there again. The Hornets are expected to lean on Diabat this season because the other center options come with clear defensive limitations, and he is the one big on the roster who can handle multiple coverages without forcing the rest of the group to adjust around him. If he misses a step, Charlottes defense could start to look a lot less forgiving. [Read more 🡒]