Hornets Coach Charles Lee Provides Positive Brandon Miller Injury Update

Monday was a good day for the Charlotte Hornets. 

Not only did the Hornets beat the Cleveland Cavaliers by 12 points, but head coach Charles Lee also provided a positive Brandon Miller injury update. 

Miller has a right hip strain. He's 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 beat the Cavaliers by a final score of 124-112. Newcomer Grayson Allen led the way with 27 points, while fellow newcomer Naz Reid had 25 points. 

Charlotte defeated Cleveland despite playing without Miller and Kon Knueppel, who will be re-evaluated in four weeks. The Duke product has been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain.

Knueppel missed the first eight games of the season because of a left hamstring injury. He made his season debut on November 4 against the Brooklyn Nets but played just five minutes before re-aggravating his left leg. 

Even though Knueppel didn't win the 2025-26 Rookie of the Year award, he still had a remarkable season. The sharpshooter averaged 18.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game and shot 47.5% from the field, 42.5% from beyond the arc and 86.3% from the free-throw line and led the NBA in 3-pointers.

Knueppel claimed the first four Rookie of the Month awards last season, becoming the first Hornet ever to win the award four times.

It will be interesting to see when Miller and Knueppel are back in the lineup for the Hornets, who are 4-7. Next up for Lee and Co. is a matchup against Miles Bridges and the Phoenix Suns.