Fresh off signing the largest rookie-scale contract extension in franchise history, Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller has made his ultimate objective clear: ending the organization’s prolonged playoff drought.
Miller formalized his commitment to the franchise earlier this week by putting pen to paper on a five-year, $209 million deal. The agreement eclipses the five-year, $203 million extension signed by LaMelo Ball three years ago. Speaking Thursday at a ceremony at the Spectrum Center alongside head coach Charles Lee and executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson, Miller emphasized that individual financial security takes a back seat to team success.
“Our goal is the playoffs,” Miller told reporters. “We want to be known as a playoff team. And we want to win as many games as we can. We know what our identity is. We know what it takes to get there.”
Charlotte has missed the postseason entirely since the 2015-16 campaign, and the franchise has not won a playoff series in 24 seasons. However, the organization showed signs of life last year by finishing 44-38—a dramatic 25-game improvement over the previous season—before dropping a contest in the play-in tournament to the Orlando Magic.
In the months following that encouraging step forward, front office leadership reshaped the roster. Peterson parted ways with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges during the offseason, bringing in an influx of veteran talent meant to bolster the team’s competitiveness. The new acquisitions feature proven rotation players including Naz Reid, Grayson Allen, Royce O’Neale, and Dennis Schröder.
Miller believes bringing in players with established postseason experience will pay dividends for a young squad trying to take the next step. “Adding the new pieces that we have, players that have been where we want to go, to me I think that gives us an advantage in the long run,” Miller said.
Securing Miller to a long-term contract before the opening tip of the regular season ranked as a primary objective for the front office. Peterson highlighted the forward’s internal drive, work ethic, and dedication behind the scenes as the foundation for the historic investment.
“His work ethic, his drive and his determination and desire to elevate himself and be the best version of himself is something that we appreciate and take seriously,” Peterson said. “When he signed, I told him, now it really starts because there is even more responsibility for him to get better and push himself and push his teammates and help us reach our full potential.”
The Hornets opened their regular-season schedule Wednesday night with a 110-103 victory on the road against the Brooklyn Nets. Newcomer Naz Reid immediately showcased his value in his debut, pacing Charlotte with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.
Miller also saw his first action since finalizing his new contract, contributing 18 points. It was an uneven shooting night for the former No. 2 overall pick, who was selected in 2023 behind Victor Wembanyama. Miller struggled from beyond the arc, finishing 3 of 14 from 3-point range and scoring just one point in the second half.
Last season, Miller appeared in 65 games while playing through a shoulder injury, averaging 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists while connecting on 38.3% of his 3-point attempts. Now fully healthy, the team’s longest-tenured player enters the new campaign bearing heightened expectations to lead Charlotte back to relevance.
