Brandon Miller ruled out for Hornets' home clash with the Toronto Raptors

The injury bug strikes again in Charlotte.

Jan 5, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Brandon Miller (24) smiles as he walks down the court after a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Just when the Charlotte Hornets captured the attention of the basketball world, clobbering the Oklahoma City Thunder by 27 on the road, the injury bug struck again.

Tonight, the Hornets will be without Brandon Miller, who will miss with a left knee contusion.

In that win over the Thunder, Miller racked up 28 points on 8/16 shooting, which featured a scorching hot night from downtown, connecting on 7/10 attempts. He also chipped in six rebounds, two blocks, two steals, and an assist.

Who replaces Miller in the starting lineup?

Charles Lee has liked the idea of inserting rookie Sion James whenever one of the "big three" is ruled out, but I wouldn't be surprised if he goes with Collin Sexton for this one. In the two games he played against Toronto earlier this season, he posted 17 and 18 points, shooting an efficient 11-for-23 from the floor and 4/11 from three-point range.

How the Hornets can overcome Miller's absence

Yes, this puts more pressure on Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball, but I think this goes more toward the performance of center Moussa Diabate. Sandro Mamukelashvili will be in an expanded role tonight with Jakob Poeltl out, so there should be an opportunity to dominate the glass and not have to worry nearly as much about the interior presence Toronto will have offensively. Against Oklahoma City, Diabate posted nine points and twelve rebounds.

The rest of the injury report

In other Hornets injury news, center Moussa Diabate (R Wrist Sprain) has been upgraded from probable to available, and forward Tidjane Salaün (L Ankle Sprain) has also been upgraded from questionable to probable. As expected, Ryan Kalkbrenner (L Elbow Sprain), Mason Plumlee (R Groin Surgery), and Grant Williams (R Knee Surgery) remain out of service.

The Hornets and Raptors will tip things off at approximately 7:10 p.m. ET. You can stream the game live on FanDuel Sports Network Southeast or listen to Sam Farber with the call on WFNZ radio.

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