Hornets Announce Negative Brandon Miller News Ahead of Cavaliers Game

The Charlotte Hornets announced that small forward Brandon Miller will not play tonight against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Miller has a a right hip strain.

The Hornets are 3-7, while the Cavaliers are 5-5. Both teams are off to poor starts this season. 

Miller is averaging 20.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game this season while shooting 35.6% from the field, 26.0% from beyond the arc and 86.8% from the free-throw line. 

The Hornets signed Miller to a five-year, $209 million extension. 

Miller appeared in 65 games for the Hornets last season, his third year in the NBA. He averaged 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while shooting 43.5% from the field, 38.3% from beyond the arc and 89.2% from the free-throw line.

Miller entered this season with career averages of 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft. 

Last season, Miller claimed his first Eastern Conference Player of the Week award on Feb. 1, 2026, after averaging 26.3 points (51.6 FG%, 50.0 3P%, 100.0 FT%), 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game in four outings, becoming the first Hornet to earn Player of the Week honors since 2021.

The Hornets will be without Miller and Kon Knueppel against the Cavaliers. Knueppel has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. The Duke product will be re-evaluated in four weeks.

Knueppel and Miller are the new franchise players in Charlotte after the LaMelo Ball trade. The Hornets traded Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer. Miles Bridges was also traded to the Phoenix Suns. 

Charlotte is averaging only 96.3 points per game. That's last in the NBA. The offense will likely continue to struggle since Knueppel will be out for a while and it's unknown how long Miller will be sidelined.  

It's early, but it appears the Hornets made a mistake by trading Ball, who is averaging 18.3 points and 6.0 assists per game for the Timberwolves. Without Ball, Charlotte is having trouble scoring the basketball.

The Hornets never made the playoffs with Ball and Bridges leading the way. The Charlotte franchise hasn't made the playoffs since 2016. It's the longest active playoff drought in the NBA. 

While Miller and Knueppel have a lot of untapped potential, both youngster need to prove they can stay healthy. 

There is a lot of basketball left in the season, but right now, it doesn't look like the Hornets will make the playoffs.