Brandon Miller, Hornets Agree to Rookie Contract Extension, Full Details Revealed

The Charlotte Hornets made Brandon Miller one of their presumed franchise cornerstones when they selected him with the No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 NBA draft, and they paid him accordingly on Monday.

The two sides agreed to a five-year, $209 million rookie contract extension, agents AJ Vaynerchuk and Joey Middleton told ESPN's Shams Charania.

This comes after the Hornets exercised Miller's $15.1 million player option for the 2026-27 season in October 2025, which provided some stability in the immediate future but also put potential restricted free agency ahead of the 2027-28 campaign on the table.

That is no longer a concern following this development.

If nothing else, Charlotte got ahead of possible trade rumors that would have circulated with restricted free agency looming with this move. It also ensured one of its key young pieces will remain in place as it looks to build on a promising 2025-26 season.

The Hornets improved from a dreadful 19-63 record in 2024-25 to 44-38 in 2025-26 thanks to an impressive turnaround in the second half of the schedule. While it lost in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament, it provided a hint at what is to come for a team with plenty of young talent.

And Miller is a significant part of that young talent alongside Kon Knueppel, among others.

Brandon Miller with the Dunk

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The Alabama product led the Hornets in scoring at 20.2 points per game in 2025-26, which was his third season in the league. He appeared in 65 games, which was an important step after injuries limited him to a mere 27 games in his second season in the league.

Miller also averaged 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 38.3 percent from deep. The efficiency stood out, as it marked a career-high in three-point shooting and a notable jump from the previous season when he shot 40.3 percent from the field.

He also dealt with a shoulder injury at times, suggesting he could be even better in the future if he remains healthy and picks up more experience.

After all, Miller is just 23 years old and has already established himself as one of the go-to options on an Eastern Conference team with a promising future that should be competing for playoff spots in the coming years.

If Miller lives up to expectations over the course of this new contract, the playoffs will be the baseline expectation in Charlotte.