The Charlotte Hornets locked in Brandon Miller on Monday, agreeing to a five-year, $209 million rookie-scale extension, according to Shams Charania of ESPN.
The deal got done just before the 6 PM deadline, and it gives Charlotte the player it appears ready to build around after moving LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier in the offseason. Miller had been working toward the biggest non-Victor Wembanyama contract from the 2023 draft class, and he topped that mark by landing a deal that edges out Houston’s Amen Thompson, who signed a five-year, $208 million extension a little more than a month ago.
That makes Miller the seventh first-round pick from the 2023 class to secure an extension. Victor Wembanyama, Amen and Ausar Thompson, Keyonte George, Cason Wallace, and Brandin Podziemski are the others.
For Charlotte, the timing matters almost as much as the money. Miller is coming off a career-best season and now stands in position to become the franchise’s new centerpiece. Alongside Kon Knueppel, he’ll be tasked with helping the Hornets move forward after they finished last season by falling to the Orlando Magic in the 9 vs 8 Play-In matchup.
In his third year, Miller averaged 20.2 points, shot 37.3% from three and posted a 55.9% true shooting mark. That production came while he dealt with a shoulder injury suffered in the second game of the season, one that required him to wear a wrap for the rest of the year before he had surgery after the season ended.
The Hornets are betting big on Miller’s growth. His scoring profile already gives Charlotte a genuine offensive engine, with the ability to hurt defenses at all three levels. With Ball gone, the lane is open for Miller to take over as the team’s top option.
At 23, he still has room to sharpen his efficiency and settle in as a true first option. Charlotte’s extension is a major financial commitment, but it also signals real belief in the 2023 No. 2 pick as a future franchise player. His shoulder surgery should put him on track to return to full health, and his fourth season now looks like the most important one yet.
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Hornets May Have Another Frontcourt Option Showing Up Fast
Hannes Steinbach keeps showing up like he belongs in the conversation, and for the Hornets that is becoming more than a preseason curiosity. The rookie, taken 14th overall, has already put together strong showings in Summer League and carried that form into exhibition play, giving Charlotte another frontcourt name to track as it sorts through its options.
Against Memphis, Steinbach again gave the Hornets a useful glimpse of what he can bring, and coach Charles Lee came away focusing less on the box score than on the way the rookie approaches the job. Even in a loss, Charlotte has reason to keep leaning into that kind of production, especially if his steady habits continue to translate as the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Could Revisit A Familiar Roster Gamble Fans Will Debate
A familiar name is back in the conversation around Charlottes roster as the Hornets weigh another look at Dalton Knecht, the former first-round pick who was recently released by the Lakers. Knecht is now a free agent, and the appeal for Charlotte is pretty clear: hes a young shooter with some upside, and he could be the kind of low-risk addition that adds a little more depth on the wing without forcing the team to make a bigger commitment.
Theres also a little history here that makes the possibility more intriguing for Hornets fans. Charlotte has already tracked Knecht closely, and his availability gives the front office a chance to revisit a player it clearly liked before. Whether the fit turns into anything real remains to be seen, but the connection is strong enough to keep the discussion alive while the Hornets sort through ways to bolster the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Hornets Enter A New Era With One Big Question Hanging Over It
Charlotte spent the offseason reshaping its roster in a major way, moving on from LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges and Tre Mann while bringing in Naz Reid, Grayson Allen and Dennis Schroder. It is the kind of turnover that signals more than a tweak. The Hornets are clearly trying to reset the direction of the franchise, and the pieces they added suggest a new look built around size, shooting and a different tempo.
The early projection is that this group could settle into a respectable middle ground while it figures itself out, but the bigger story is how the lineup comes together once the season starts. A new starting five centered around Coby White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabate has a very different feel from what Charlotte put on the floor a year ago, and the real question is whether that mix can develop quickly enough to keep the Hornets competitive while the new era takes shape. [Read more 🡒]