Brandon Miller will once again be unable to have a healthy offseason due his lingering shoulder injury, which will throw another variable into his offseason extension talks with the Charlotte Hornets. Miller was on track to get a sizable extension, but being unable to participate fully with the team this summer may negatively impact his leverage.
The Hornets announced Wednesday that Miller underwent shoulder surgery to address left shoulder instability. He is expected to make a full recovery, but will be out indefinitely.
This was all due to an injury on his left shoulder in the second game of the 2025-26 season, right after recovering from a torn ligament in his right wrist. It was diagnosed by the Hornets as shoulder subluxation. A series of unfortunate events has continued on for the third-year pro.
It was somewhat expected that surgery may be required, but the news is untimely.
The recovery timeline may be similar to teammate Josh Green
Fellow Hornets teammate Josh Green underwent surgery last year with essentially the same issue: instability in his left shoulder. He also was ruled out indefinitely.
However, his surgery was performed near the end of June. This caused him to miss the first 24 games of the regular season, almost a third of the games. He made his season debut mid-December.
While timelines can vary for each individual, Green was back on the court in roughly six months. If we mirrored those same timeframes, Miller could be back in the starting lineup by early November.
Brandon Miller’s team impact with surgery — and on his extension
Miller’s development will yet again be put on pause, and key growth areas for him will be put on the back burner. He may be limited by the time training camp rolls around in September.
With Miller rehabbing instead of training with the team, the on-court symbiosis will be affected. Not only that, but another non-fully healthy offseason is straining psychologically.
It’s fair to wonder if the Hornets already had information that he needed surgery. Either way, any surgery in the offseason isn’t going to have a positive impact on negotiations.
Will Jeff Peterson want to commit an enormous rookie extension to a player who’s struggled to stay on the floor? Miller is a champion in Hornets’ fans eyes for playing through the injury, and the talent is obvious, but this will undoubtedly affect extension talks in the summer.
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