The Charlotte Hornets still have a little more breathing room if they want to lock up Brandon Miller on a rookie-scale extension.
The deal is not done yet, but it is not out of reach either. According to James Plowright, the deadline for Charlotte and Miller to reach an agreement is October 19. If the two sides do not come together by then, Miller would head toward restricted free agency next offseason.
That clock matters because Miller has already shown plenty in his first three NBA seasons. He played in 65 games for the Hornets last year and put up 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He also shot 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
For his career, Miller has averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Charlotte selected him with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft, and he enters this season as one of the key pieces in the team’s next chapter.
The Hornets open the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, then return home for their opener against the Atlanta Hawks.
Charlotte’s new-look core is drawing the attention now that Ball and Bridges are gone. Miller and Knueppel are the names to watch, and the hope in Charlotte is that they can do what Ball and Bridges could not: push the Hornets into the playoffs.
Knueppel’s rookie year gave fans plenty to like even without a Rookie of the Year trophy. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% overall, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 86.3% from the line. He also led the NBA in 3-pointers.
There is also plenty of buzz around Reid, who won the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award. Hornets fans are eager to see what he brings after posting regular-season averages of 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, along with playoff averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game.
Last season in Minnesota, Reid averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game while shooting 45.6% from the field, 36.2% from 3 and 73.2% from the free-throw line. He also had six double-doubles.
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 Mark Williams Trade Debate Just Got More Complicated
Mark Williams exit from Charlotte was already one of the franchises most delicate decisions, and the trade with Phoenix only seemed to get more layered as time went on. The former No. 15 pick had been sent to the Suns in June 2025 after a rescinded deal with the Lakers tied to medical concerns, and he went on to post his best NBA season in Phoenix before injuries started interrupting the momentum late in the year.
For the Hornets, the deal was never just about moving on from a talented center. Charlotte got back Liam McNeeley, Vasilije Micic, and a 2029 first-round pick, and McNeeley has already flashed real promise with a strong rookie season and a notable Summer League showing. Williams new extension only sharpened the debate about what his next chapter might have looked like, and now the conversation has become even more complicated as the trade continues to be judged through very different lenses. [Read more 🡒]