The Charlotte Hornets are expected to lock in one of their foundational stars after trading away LaMelo Ball this offseason.
According to NBA insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints, the Hornets will be offering Brandon Miller a lucrative contract extension to be the franchise’s new face following the departure of Ball in a trade this offseason.
“He is going to get a new deal at some point. I would expect it personally to be a five-year deal, and that will cement him as the face of this franchise after those trades,” Siegel said on the ClutchScoops show. “But it is possible that the Hornets could enter the season without extending him. They have basically until then to do so. Even if he doesn’t, they could just agree to a new deal once he becomes a restricted free agent.”
Charlotte Hornets Give Full Trust To Brandon Miller
Siegel admitted that the Hornets have concerns about Miller’s injury history, but they are optimistic about his long-term value with the team.
“There’s no worries here about getting a deal done. I think his injury history and coming off his season-ending shoulder injury this past year play a role in that, so we’ll wait and see what happens, but Brandon Miller, I don’t expect him to be on the market whatsoever for other teams. He’s going to be locked in with the Hornets for the foreseeable future,” Siegel added.
Miller, who is still in his standard rookie contract, has a history of significant wrist and shoulder injuries early in his career. Last May, Miller went successful surgery to address ongoing left shoulder instability following a subluxation issue, which he picked up earlier in the season.
His sophomore campaign was also cut short after just 27 appearances due to a severe torn ligament in his right wrist that required season-ending surgery.
The 23-year-old Miller averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists in 30.3 minutes per game last season.
He made noticeable leaps in his efficiency, posting career-high metrics of 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc on 3.1 triples per game, and 89.2% from the free-throw line.
Without Ball, Miller is expected to have more on-ball reps alongside Kon Knueppel, who was a Rookie of the Year candidate last season.
With Brandon Miller As The Leader, Charlotte Hornets Take Pride In Gaining Respect In The NBA
Hornets head coach Charles Lee has taken pride in the team’s relentless approach in their games, which, he said, has earned the respect of teams throughout the league.
“This group has earned the respect or notoriety of the league,” Lee said. “I think that the last couple years haven’t gotten the way that I think we wanted or that we would have hoped, and this year, the progress that we made as individual players, but also as a collective group and organization, is definitely just raising people’s attention level to the Hornets.”
The Hornets are expected to contend for a playoff spot next season after adding key veterans like Grayson Allen, Dennis Schröder, Royce O’Neale, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Naz Reid to support the youth movement led by Brandon Miller and Knueppel.
With the culture established last season and their offseason moves, expect the Hornets to be an under-the-radar playoff team next season.
Young Hornets Star Gets Major Contract News After LaMelo Ball Trade