Is Brandon Miller a future Hall of Famer? One Hornets executive thinks so

In the soap opera known as the NBA offseason, there have been a lot of social media posts and think pieces about Charlotte Hornets’ third-year guard Brandon Miller, surmising that the former Alabama Crimson Tide star could be a foundation-level talent for a franchise in need of as much star power as it can find.

Monday, on the NBA’s media day, Hornets’ executive vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson took questions about Miller and his return from season-ending wrist surgery in January.

Peterson talked about how Miller may play with tape around his right wrist, at least early this season; how strenuously Miller attacked his rehab; and how he found ways to add to his game by studying film more.

Peterson also sounded pretty convinced that the 6-foot-9 swingman could develop into a pretty special player in Charlotte.

“I don’t want to put a cap or a ceiling on him,” Peterson said, “because Brandon can be as good as he wants to be. He can be a Hall of Famer. And he knows the expectations on him this season. More importantly, he has those same expectations for himself.”

A wrist injury and a tough time for Brandon Miller

Miller will be 23 in November, and for the first time since he got serious about basketball, he wasn’t able to play for months following his wrist injury.

He told The Observer back in July that his wrist was about “90 to 95 percent” and that he had just started contact drills.

Monday, he said his wrist was good. And he said it with a big smile.

“I’m getting back to 100 percent,” Miller said, standing on the court at Queens University, in his white Hornets’ uniform. “I’m just blessed to be in this position. I’m ready to play now. The confidence is going to keep building.”

After a solid rookie season, when Miller averaged 17.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists, the former No. 2 overall draft pick was beginning to put up a massive sophomore season.

By the time the Hornets played Utah last January, the game where he tore a ligament in his wrist, Miller was averaging 21 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists.

But instead of being able to build on that momentum, Miller was suddenly on the bench in street clothes.

“Sitting out all (that) time, missing the game, not being able to go out there and work with your teammates, your brothers, the people you see every day, you get down sometimes,” Miller said. “But, you know, your teammates are going to be there to pick you back up.”

Peterson, too, said it was a tough time for Miller.

“When the injury initially occured,” Peterson said, “it was scary for him. He’d never experienced anything like that. So for him to persevere through the most challenging time of his professional career says a lot, and it’s no secret that he’s able to be out here today, ready for training camp, because he took the time and he put in the work.”

A new ‘assistant coach’?

Hornets’ coach Charles Lee gave Miller some assignments during his downtime, including breaking down film with his teammates. It was a project Peterson and Lee said Miller really took to heart.

“There were times where he would watch a game and pick a couple of clips and sit down” with a teammate, Lee said. “I remember specifically with Nick Smith Jr. He sat down with Nick, showed him a couple clips. Some good, some that were teaching moments, and then he came over to me afterwards.

“And it was like, ‘Coach, you’ve got a hard job. I told him not to do that in this type of situation.’ I was like, ‘Good, I’m glad you get a feel for what we go through as coaches.’ But he took on that responsibility. He took ownership of it. He wanted to help the team in any way.”

Now, Miller is ready to help the team the way he wants to: on the court.

After only playing 27 games last season, he said he’s put on a few pounds and looks a little thicker than he did a year ago.

Miller has high hopes for himself and a Hornets team that hasn’t made the playoffs in nearly a decade. A big part of that is keeping the core of the team healthy. Last season, Charlotte played significant time without a number of its best players, including star point guard LaMelo Ball, forward Grant Williams and Miller.

Miller has high hopes for his team staying healthy this season and thinks there’s no reason that Charlotte can’t have a winning season.

“We can become anything we put our minds to,” he said. “You know, we can compete with any team that’s in the NBA. No problem. I just feel like, in past years, it’s just been health. And you know, it’s not an excuse. It’s kind of the game. But I think this year, we’re just going to focus on just building great professional habits and just stay on path with our goals.”

Brandon Miller’s ‘new-found joy’

The NBA’s Eastern Conference won’t be nearly as strong this year. Stars like Boston’s Jayson Tatum and Indiana’s Tyrese Haliburton are likely out for the season with Achilles injuries. Damian Lillard, also likely to miss the season, has been traded from Milwaukee back to Portland.

But for Charlotte to break its long playoff drought, the Hornets need to keep their key players on the court. Miller will likely need to be even better than he was during Year 2 and Ball will need to play (again) at an all-star level.

Lee thinks Miller is ready to deliver.

“I think whenever you have to step back and take a breather, you gain, like, a new-found joy to be back out there, to be able to compete, to play the game you love,” Lee said. “(Brandon) has been playing for so long and he’s such a good player that it’s tough every day to come into a building and have to be relegated to just lifting weights or being on the training table.

“So I think the more he’s been exposed to the court, it excited him, and he got one step closer to being back to something he really loves. And so I see a deep-found love in Brandon and a newfound competitive spirit in him.”

Miller said he’s ready to be a team leader, and to do whatever it takes. That will likely mean playing with tape on his shooting wrist, but he said he used to tape his wrists in high school.

“I don’t think that would be the problem,” he said. “I think the confidence, you know, it will eventually come and grow as the season goes. I think that’s the main piece, building the confidence back up, catching myself when falling.”

Miller said he doesn’t do social media, so he’s not seen the talk of him becoming a bona-fide NBA star (or more).

He didn’t even really want to talk much about his de-facto GM saying he could one day join basketball’s elite in the Hall of Fame.

Miller said he’s simply focused on one thing.

“I’m not on social media,” Miller said. “I could care less about social media. But thank you to the people (saying the nice things). That’s how I take it. What I’m ready to do is simple.

“I want to help my brothers win.”

This story was originally published October 1, 2025 at 5:00 AM.