Brandon Miller has missed about a third of Charlotte’s games since the Hornets drafted him second overall in 2023. On October 19, 2026, the team agreed to pay him $209 million over five years anyway. That is $1 million more than Amen Thompson’s $208 million, the deal Yahoo Sports named as the closest comparable.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the five-year, $209 million rookie-scale extension; the AP and BasketNews relayed it, and Yahoo Sports covered it. NBA.com carries the Hornets’ own announcement, which confirms a multiyear extension and says only that, “Per team policy, the terms of the deal were not disclosed.” So the number below is reported, not published by the team.
The Money
Five years at $209 million works out to about $41.8 million a year by simple division. Yahoo Sports rounds the average to $43 million; we use our own arithmetic. None of the reports we opened gave the year-by-year schedule, his salary this season or the exact season the new money starts, so we don’t state them. Other outlets gave a 2026-27 figure; we could not corroborate it.
BasketNews reports Miller had sought more than $200 million. He got it, and he avoids restricted free agency next summer, per Yahoo Sports.
Where It Sits in the 2023 Class
Yahoo lists the rookie-scale extensions signed before 2026-27 by this draft class. Miller is the seventh:
- Victor Wembanyama: five years, $252 million
- Brandon Miller: five years, $209 million
- Amen Thompson: five years, $208 million
- Keyonte George: five years, $157.5 million
- Ausar Thompson: five years, $155 million
- Cason Wallace: five years, $139 million
- Brandin Podziemski: five years, $110 million
The same report says talks referenced Franz Wagner’s five years and $224 million and OG Anunoby’s five years and $212.5 million. Miller landed between the Thompson twins’ top number and Anunoby’s. For the gap between the twins, see Ausar Thompson’s $155M extension; for the bottom of the class, Brandin Podziemski’s $110M deal; for the top, Victor Wembanyama’s $252M.
One player is missing from the list. BasketNews, citing Chris Haynes, reports that Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick, did not sign and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
The Production, and the Gaps
NBA.com’s numbers: over three seasons Miller averaged 19.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 31.8 minutes, shooting 43.1% from the field, 37.3% from three and 86.3% at the line, across 166 games with 160 starts. Last season he averaged 20.2 points in 65 games, all starts, and led the team with 18 games of 25 or more. He made First Team All-Rookie in 2023-24 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. (Yahoo and the AP list slightly lower rebound and assist averages; we use NBA.com’s.)
The games he missed are the whole case against. Yahoo reports he played 27 games in 2024-25 after wrist ligament surgery, had shoulder surgery in May, and dealt with a left shoulder subluxation early last season. It says he is healthy now and scored 18 points in a preseason win over Milwaukee.
Why Charlotte Paid
The roster around him changed. The AP reports Charlotte traded LaMelo Ball to the Timberwolves and that Miller is expected to carry a bigger scoring load. Yahoo adds that the Hornets went 44-38 last season, their best record since 2021-22, then lost in the play-in round to Orlando. It also notes the franchise has the NBA’s longest active playoff drought at 10 years. The plan, per BasketNews and Yahoo, is to build around Miller and Kon Knueppel, the Rookie of the Year runner-up.
Waiting had a price. Without a deal, Miller would have been a restricted free agent next summer, when a rival offer could have set the price. Paying now fixes it while his health is still the open question.
What We Don’t Know
There is no reliable net-worth figure for Brandon Miller, and we won’t invent one. We have not seen the contract’s structure, any guarantee language or his endorsement terms, and the team did not release the number. For where this deal sits against the league, see the 2026 Sports Contracts Tracker and the NBA salary cap explainer.
The Bottom Line
Miller’s deal is a bet on the player who scored 20.2 a night, not the one who played two-thirds of the schedule. Charlotte priced him a dollar above Amen Thompson and $43 million under Wembanyama. If he plays 70 games a year, it looks cheap. If he doesn’t, it is the most expensive injury report in the class.
More from Absolute Baller:
- Payton Pritchard’s $44.2M Celtics Extension, Explained
- Ausar Thompson’s $155M Extension: $53M Less Than His Twin
- Brandin Podziemski’s $110M Warriors Extension Explained
- Victor Wembanyama’s $252M Extension: Turned Down $50M
Frequently Asked
How much is Brandon Miller's extension worth?
Five years and $209 million, per ESPN's Shams Charania on October 19, 2026, as relayed by the AP, Yahoo Sports and BasketNews. The Hornets announced a multiyear extension and, per team policy, did not disclose the terms (NBA.com). Simple division is about $41.8 million a year.
How does it compare to the rest of the 2023 draft class?
Per Yahoo Sports, Victor Wembanyama signed for five years and $252 million, Amen Thompson for $208 million, Keyonte George for $157.5 million, Ausar Thompson for $155 million, Cason Wallace for $139 million and Brandin Podziemski for $110 million. Miller is second.
What was the risk for Charlotte?
Availability. Yahoo Sports reports Miller has missed about a third of Charlotte's games since he was drafted, including most of 2024-25 after wrist ligament surgery, and he had shoulder surgery in May. NBA.com counts 166 games in three seasons.
What happens to the rest of the 2023 lottery class?
BasketNews, citing Chris Haynes, reports that Scoot Henderson, the No. 3 pick, did not sign a rookie-scale extension and will be a restricted free agent after the season.
What is Brandon Miller's net worth?
No outlet this site trusts has published a reliable figure, so we don't give one. What is documented is a $209 million extension on top of his rookie-scale contract.