The Charlotte Hornets stunned the NBA when they traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package that centered around Naz Reid and draft compensation. In the process, they marked a sudden transition from one franchise player to another, with Brandon Miller stepping squarely into the spotlight. As if that weren't enough, they also traded Miles Bridges.
With a clear-cut role as the team's No. 1 scorer, the Most Improved Player award should be Miller's to lose if he rises to the occasion.
Miller, 23, was the No. 2 overall selection in the 2023 NBA Draft. As such, rising to All-Star status is expected of him. He's certainly made progress toward that goal, as he finished the 2025-26 season with averages of 20.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.0 steal, 0.7 blocks, and 3.1 three-point field goals made per game.
Miller also raised his shooting marks from .403/.355/.861 in 2024-25 to .435/.383/.892 in 2025-26 despite attempting the same number of field goals per 36 minutes.
Clearly trending in the right direction, Miller was also instrumental to the Hornets' late-season surge. After starting the season at 16-28, the Hornets went 28-10 the rest of the way. During that time, his 20.3 points per game ranked second to Ball at 20.7—and he shot at a clip of .449/.400/.935.
If that's a sign of things to come, then an uptick in volume and continued improvement to his efficiency should lead Miller to Most Improved Player honors—particularly when factoring in his other strengths.
Brandon Miller will have the keys to the Hornets in 2026-27
The primary reason to believe that Miller can increase his individual volume as a scorer is the manner in which he puts points on the board. He's a known three-point shooter, but it's his ability to create for himself that makes him so dangerous.
According to Basketball Index, Miller finished the 2025-26 season ranked in the 94th percentile in one on one shot making and the 96th percentile in one on one shot making efficiency.
That's quite intriguing considering he ranked in the 91st percentile in guarded by matchup difficulty, which measures the quality of the defenders he encountered. What rounds his premature Most Improved Player candidacy into form is that he's done all of this while playing well on defense.
In 2025-26, Miller ranked in the 66th percentile in perimeter isolation defense, the 79th percentile in ball screen navigation, and the 91st percentile in off-ball chaser defense.
Brandon Miller offers two-way value and improving efficiency
As for the team and its future success, though Charlotte lost Ball, it has no shortage of talent. Reid is a former Sixth Man of the Year with extensive postseason experience, Kon Knueppel was a Rookie of the Year candidate in 2025-26, and Moussa Diabate offers infectious energy on both ends of the court.
Charlotte also swapped out Bridges for sharpshooter Grayson Allen and respected veteran Royce O'Neale, and brought in Dennis Schröder to create intriguing depth at guard with proven scorer Coby White.
Furthermore, Miller may not suffer as much from Ball's departure as some might expect. In 2025-26, for instance, his true shooting percentage was actually 4.0 percentage points higher when Ball wasn't on the court—and he averaged 26.7 points per 75 possessions during that time.
If Miller can increase his volume in a featured role, maintain his defensive quality, and help the Hornets continue to win at a high rate, Most Improved Player will be his.
Add us as a preferred source on Google