Charlotte Hornets’ Brandon Miller has wrist surgery, ending second season
So much for seeing the Charlotte Hornets’ “Core Four” together on the court this season.
Brandon Miller had surgery Thursday to repair a torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist and will miss the rest of the season. The procedure was performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
Miller initially got hurt during the Hornets’ win in Utah last Wednesday and had an MRI in Chicago two days later to confirm the severity of the injury. His absence is yet another obstacle the Hornets must overcome. They’ve dealt with injuries all season and rank sixth in the NBA in player games missed.
The 22-year-old averaged a career-best 21 points, along with 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 34.2 minutes in 27 games in his second season, one that’s been marred by a couple of injuries.
Miller strained his left glute in the opener in Houston on Oct. 23, sidelining him for a week, and sprained his left ankle in the Hornets’ loss to Philadelphia on Dec. 16, causing him to miss six games.
Without Miller available, it’s given new life in a sense to Nick Smith Jr., and he’s going to get an opportunity to show what he can do. The second-year guard has been buried in the Hornets’ rotation, even behind two-way pickup Isaiah Wong for a period of time.
But coach Charles Lee slotted Smith into Miller’s starting shooting guard spot and he’s flourishing. He produced a season-best 19 points in Monday’s win over Dallas, draining five 3-pointers.
This story was originally published January 23, 2025 at 4:41 PM.
