The Charlotte Hornets are heading into the 2026-27 season with a different look and a much clearer identity, and it all starts with Brandon Miller.
After an offseason that brought major change, Charlotte has shifted its focus squarely onto Miller as the centerpiece. LaMelo Ball was sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a blockbuster trade, and Miles Bridges was moved to the Phoenix Suns. With those departures, the Hornets are entering the season with Miller as the undisputed No. 1 option and team leader as he begins his fourth year in the league.
Miller’s rise has been steady. Last season, the 23-year-old wing appeared in 65 games and put up 20.2 points per night, along with 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and a steal.
He shot 43.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from beyond the arc. The year before, in a smaller sample of 27 games, he averaged 21 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 40.3 percent overall and 35.5 percent from three.
That production has earned him respect across the league. HoopsHype recently released its ranking of NBA small forwards, and Miller came in at No. 10.
The outlet described his game this way: "All in all, Miller can hit shots off the dribble over good defense from the midrange, as well as from three, and use his impressive athleticism to finish around the basket with aplomb. He’ll need to continue working on his playmaking, as Miller tends to get tunnel vision with the ball in his hands, but overall, he’s improved every season he’s been in the NBA, and we expect that trend to continue in 2026-27."
Miller finished ahead of players such as AJ Dybantsa, Normal Powell, and Mikal Bridges.
There’s real buzz around Charlotte as a possible sleeper in the Eastern Conference. The Hornets went 44-38 last season, good for the No. 9 seed and a play-in spot, and the thinking is that another leap from Miller could push them even further. Even with Ball and Bridges gone, the roster still has enough talent to make noise.
For Charlotte, the equation is simple: the Hornets will go as far as Miller can take them.
In Other News...
Hornets Face A Huge Brandon Miller Decision Before The Stakes Rise
Keyonte Georges new five-year, $157.5 million rookie-scale extension has added another layer to the fall extension season, and Brandon Miller now sits in the middle of it for Charlotte. NBA insider Shams Charania reported that Miller and Detroits Ausar Thompson are in active talks with their teams, alongside a broader group of young players including Cason Wallace, Brandin Podziemski, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Anthony Black, as front offices continue sorting out their long-term plans before the season gets rolling.
For the Hornets, the timing matters because Miller is already central to the franchises future and any agreement would set the tone for how Charlotte handles its rising core. The market for this class is moving quickly, Thompsons situation is said to be trending toward a deal, and the next round of extension discussions could come in the coming days and weeks, which means the Hornets may not have much time to let this one breathe before the pressure ramps up. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Face A Big Change In How They Watch This Season
Hornets fans are going to have a different kind of setup when it comes time to follow the team next season, with Charlotte lining up a new direct-to-consumer media partner to handle local viewing. The move is aimed at giving viewers across the Carolinas a more flexible way to watch games, with streaming options built around live and on-demand access rather than the old one-size-fits-all approach.
DAZN will carry 75 Hornets games in 2026-27, and for many fans the bigger shift may be how much of the schedule lives behind that platform. The service is offering several subscription plans, including a premium tier that adds alternate feeds, multiview and discounts on Hornets merchandise and tickets, which makes the change as much about the broader fan experience as it is about simply finding the game on TV. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Already Face One Huge Doubt After Moving On From LaMelo
Trading LaMelo Ball has pushed the Hornets into a new phase, with the franchise now trying to build around Brandon Miller and Kon Knueppel. The move gives Charlotte a clearer direction, and it comes with some future draft capital to keep the long view alive, but it also leaves the organization with a very real question at the center of everything it is doing now.
On the surface, the pivot makes sense for a team looking for a reset. But the skepticism from around the league has been hard to miss, with Tim McMahon and Brian Windhorst both openly wondering whether Miller and Knueppel can grow into the kind of cornerstone players Charlotte needs to replace what it gave up. That uncertainty is what makes this stretch so important for the Hornets, because the plan is now in place even if the payoff is still far from guaranteed. [Read more 🡒]