Naz Reid didn’t need long to identify the kind of leap he thinks Brandon Miller can make.
Speaking to local reporters after practice, the new Charlotte Hornets big man drew a direct line between Miller and Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. Reid said he saw Edwards elevate his game in Year 4, and he believes Miller, who is entering his fourth season, can follow the same path.
That comparison lands at an interesting moment for Charlotte. Miller is coming off his third NBA season, one in which he played 65 games and put up 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per night while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from 3-point range and 89.2% at the line. For his career, the second overall pick in the 2023 draft has averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.
The Hornets will need that kind of growth, especially with Miller and Kon Knueppel now being asked to carry the franchise after LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges. Charlotte never reached the playoffs with Ball and Bridges leading the way, and the focus now shifts to whether Miller and Knueppel can do what that group could not.
Knueppel, even without the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, turned in a standout first season. He averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from deep and 86.3% from the free-throw line. He also led the NBA in 3-pointers.
Reid is arriving with his own buzz. Hornets fans are eager to see what he brings after he won the 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year award. He comes into the season with career averages of 11.9 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in the regular season, along with playoff averages of 10.6 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists.
Last season in Minnesota, Reid averaged 13.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists while shooting 45.6% from the floor, 36.2% from 3 and 73.2% from the free-throw line. He also finished with six double-doubles.
Charlotte opens the 2026-27 season on the road against the Brooklyn Nets, then returns home for a matchup with the Atlanta Hawks. With Miller and Knueppel in place and Reid now in the mix, the Hornets have a new core to evaluate - and a lot of untapped potential to sort through.
In Other News...
Hornets Already Have A Point Guard Problem After Moving LaMelo
Moving on from LaMelo Ball was always going to reshape the Hornets backcourt, and the early returns have only made the point guard picture look more unsettled. Charlotte tried to patch things up by re-signing Coby White, drafting Christian Anderson Jr. and bringing in Dennis Schrder, a group that was supposed to keep the position steady while the franchise moved into its next phase.
Instead, the preseason has already brought more questions than answers. Anderson struggled in Summer League and is dealing with an injury, while White is sidelined with a calf issue and will miss preseason games, leaving Charlotte thin at the spot before the games even count. Ball, meanwhile, opened his Minnesota preseason looking comfortable in his new uniform, which only sharpens the contrast for Hornets fans still waiting to see whether the team's next answer at point guard is actually in place. [Read more 🡒]
Brandon Miller Injury Creates An Early Hornets Concern
Brandon Millers preseason has already hit a small snag for the Hornets, with the second-year wing dealing with a shin contusion he picked up in practice. Charlotte has been taking the cautious route, keeping him day-to-day as the team works through the opening weeks of exhibition play and prepares for its next preseason test against the Milwaukee Bucks.
Millers absence from the recent game against the Brooklyn Nets added a little more early-season concern, especially for a player whose development remains central to Charlottes plans. There is already outside buzz about a possible long-term extension down the road, but for now the Hornets are focused on getting Miller back on the floor and making sure a preseason bump does not linger. [Read more 🡒]
Naz Reid Already Feels Like A Huge Part Of Charlottes Reset
Before Charlottes first preseason game against Brooklyn, Charles Lee was already talking about Naz Reid like a player who can help steady the Hornets new direction. The big man arrived from Minnesota as part of the LaMelo Ball trade, and his first taste of a Charlotte uniform offered a quick glimpse of why the team wanted him in the mix as it starts over with a reshaped roster.
Reid wasted little time showing he can bring scoring and activity in short bursts, and that matters for a Hornets group still sorting out how its pieces fit together around young talent such as Miller and Knueppel. With the season just getting underway, Charlotte is trying to establish roles and identity, and Reids early return has at least given the coaching staff one more reason to believe the reset can take hold sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]