Brandon Miller inks extension with Hornets: Southeast Division roundup

There were no games on the schedule for Southeast Division teams yesterday, but front offices still made news. In Charlotte, Brandon Miller locked in a long-term deal, while Orlando’s young guard Anthony Black remains in a holding pattern.

Hornets lock up Brandon Miller on rookie extension

As relayed by Hoops Rumors, the Charlotte Hornets and fourth-year forward Brandon Miller have reached agreement on a rookie-scale contract extension. Shams Charania of ESPN reported on X that the deal is for five years and worth $209 million. According to Hoops Rumors, agents AJ Vaynerchuk and Joey Middleton confirmed the agreement, which was completed with roughly an hour to spare before the extension deadline.

For a Hornets team off to a 1-3 start within the Southeast Division, committing to a young forward viewed as a central building block sends a clear message about the franchise’s direction. Even without taking the court, Charlotte ended up driving the day’s headlines in the division.

In Orlando, Anthony Black still waiting

Hoops Rumors also highlighted reporting from Marc Stein’s latest Substack column, noting that Miller was viewed as the most likely player to secure a rookie-scale extension before the deadline. Stein adds, via league sources, that the odds are much longer for Magic guard Anthony Black to receive a similar deal at this stage.

The Orlando Magic, sitting at 3-1 in Southeast Division play, are clearly taking a different approach with their young guard. No further details have emerged about any talks between Orlando and Black, but the situation will be worth monitoring in future contract windows.

Quiet day elsewhere in the Southeast

The Atlanta Hawks (4-1), Miami Heat (3-2) and Washington Wizards (2-2) were all idle yesterday and did not figure in the limited headlines surveyed. The day ultimately belonged to Charlotte’s decision to secure Brandon Miller, with Orlando’s stance on Anthony Black as the main subplot.