The Charlotte Hornets may be building their next era around Brandon Miller, but that doesn’t mean a max extension is a lock.
With LaMelo Ball gone after an offseason trade, Miller is stepping into the spotlight as the new face of the franchise. The pressure on him is about to jump in a big way.
More scoring. More shot creation.
Maybe even more playmaking. Charlotte is counting on the former No. 2 overall pick to keep climbing after a strong start to his NBA career.
Miller’s numbers back up the buzz. He put up 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field in 65 games for the Hornets. That kind of production has naturally fueled talk that Charlotte could be preparing a major extension, possibly the maximum, to keep him in place for the long haul.
But NBA insider Zach Lowe isn’t convinced the Hornets will simply open the vault.
"Charlotte strikes me as a front office and ownership group that's not just gonna hand you the max. They're gonna negotiate a little bit. But if he came in somewhere near Amen Thompson, or even a little bit higher, I wouldn't be surprised," Lowe said.
There is also the health side of this picture. Miller had surgery in May to address a left shoulder issue and has been working through rehab with the goal of being ready for the regular season. He still hasn’t been cleared for basketball activities.
"I don't know right now," Miller said. "I’m always eager, man,” Miller said.
“I’m eager even when I’m not hurt. Just being out there is always a blessing whether I’m hurt or rehabbing or if I’m not hurt.
One thing about me is availability. That’s all I can ask, is just availability.
You want a full team available. You never know what can happen.
Players can get in foul trouble, whatever the case may be. It’s kind of on us as players to be available whenever your number is called.”
For now, Charlotte doesn’t sound alarmed, and Miller is expected to be back to work soon. The Hornets believe he has the tools to keep developing into something bigger. How high that ceiling goes will be up to him.
Charlotte opens the new NBA season on October 21 against the Brooklyn Nets.
In Other News...
Hornets Add Another Young Guard With A Bigger Camp Question
The Hornets kept turning over the back end of their offseason roster by adding another young guard in Bez Mbeng, the undrafted Yale product who has already logged time with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and spent part of a season with the Utah Jazz on 10-day contracts before landing a rest-of-season deal. Charlotte made room for him after waiving Kobe Stewart, another sign that the team is still sorting through developmental options as camp approaches.
Mbeng looks like the kind of player the Hornets want in their pipeline, someone who can slot into the system and spend time with the Greensboro Swarm if everything lines up. The catch is in the paperwork and the path forward, because an Exhibit 10 setup would only be part of the equation and Greensboro would still need to secure his returning rights from Sioux Falls before that next step becomes official. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Just Gave Hornets Fans Another Reason To Be Excited
Naz Reids move to Charlotte already looked like one of the more interesting parts of the LaMelo Ball trade, and the fit only gets more intriguing from there. After winning the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award with Minnesota, Reid is expected to step into the Hornets starting lineup next season, giving the roster a proven frontcourt piece who just finished averaging 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game.
Reid has also opened up about his reaction to the deal, which helps explain why this one landed with such a jolt. Hell be one of the more closely watched additions on the team next season, not just because of his production, but because Charlotte is paying real money for the chance to see whether his game translates cleanly into a bigger role after the move from Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Fans Are About To Learn What Coby White Changes Most
Coby White arrives in Charlotte with a very different job description from the one LaMelo Ball left behind. After the trade, White is expected to be the primary player running the offense, and that shift alone tells you the Hornets are moving into a new kind of tempo and structure. He brings a steadier style, one that can help organize possessions and keep the offense from veering off track, even if it does not look as explosive or improvisational as what the team had before.
The bigger question is how much that steadiness changes the Hornets overall identity. Whites game should give them a firmer offensive floor, but the tradeoff is that he is not the same kind of dynamic facilitator Ball was, which means the ceiling may come down with the volume of creative playmaking. Charlotte will have to adjust around him, and the real answer on this move probably will not come until the offense has had time to settle into its new shape. [Read more 🡒]