内部人士解析：布兰登·米勒为何预计将与黄蜂签下超2亿美元合同

Brandon Miller, the second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, is now eligible for a rookie-scale contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets. And with the 23-year-old cemented as part of the team’s core alongside Kon Knueppel, he is projected to land a five-year max contract.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the two sides are expected to agree on a deal worth over $200 million over five years, averaging more than $40 million per year.

“Miller is still projected by various league observers to ultimately come to terms with the Hornets on an extension that could exceed Amen Thompson’s new five-year, $200 million deal with the Rockets,” Stein wrote in his latest report.

“In conversations with front office executives around the NBA this week, there seemed to be a growing consensus among rival decision-makers that Miller’s deal has the potential to be richer in a nod to his higher offensive ceiling,” he explained.

In his first three seasons with the Hornets, Brandon Miller has averaged 19.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.0 assists, shooting 43.1% from the field and 37.3% from three-point range.

But that was when he was the third option on offense behind LaMelo Ball and Collin Sexton last season, two players who have since left the team and were replaced by a veteran (Naz Reid) and a less ball-dominant player than Ball, Coby White.

So, after Kon Knueppel made a rookie-year leap the whole league noticed, Miller has gone from second option to arguably the first. One could say Brandon Miller is 1A and Kon Knueppel is 1B, simply because Miller has proved in two consecutive seasons that he can consistently average over 20.0 points per game, while Knueppel has only played one season, where he averaged less than Miller.

So, as much as Knueppel’s three-point shooting announced his arrival in the league, Brandon Miller is still expected to step up as this young team’s leader.

The Hornets’ head coach, Charles Lee, recently commented on Miller, clearly signaling that the franchise sees him as a cornerstone of its future.

“I want to see him continue to be an elite two-way player, and do it consistently every night,” Lee said, outlining what he expects from Miller as he takes on more on-ball duties.

“He is capable of doing so much for our team and impacting the game in so many ways; I would never put a ceiling on what he’s able to accomplish for us.”

“We want to keep pushing the envelope with Brandon. Brandon wants us to keep pushing him. He wants to guard the best player. He wants to continue to be in an offensive action so that he can be a playmaker… he did a heck of a job of impacting the game on both ends,” Lee concluded.

Estimates suggest he could land a deal between $220-$270 million. If Brandon Miller lands an extension worth over $200 million, he could earn more than $ 40 million per year. Only 44 players in the league currently earn more than that.

Do you think the Hornets should give him that rookie-max extension? Is he among the league’s top 50 players right now? Let us know what you think in the comments section.