The Four Biggest Storylines Entering Hornets Training Camp

Just a handful of the things everyone will be paying close attention to when practice gets underway.

Apr 14, 2026; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard Coby White (3) alongside forward Brandon Miller (24) give an interview after the overtime win during the play-in rounds between the Charlotte Hornets and the Miami Heat of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Here soon, the Charlotte Hornets will open the lid on the 2026-27 season, starting with a very pivotal training camp leading into the preseason. What are the biggest storylines surrounding the team entering camp?

Here's what our staff thinks.

Schuyler Callihan: Does Brandon Miller get a new contract?

Miller became extension eligible on July 1st, but the two sides have not come to terms on a new deal yet. Perhaps his recovery from shoulder surgery has something to do with it, but it is a little surprising that the Hornets haven't locked him up for the future, especially after trading LaMelo Ball, and he ideally becomes the new face of the franchise. I'm not sure something will get done before the start of the season, but it might be in the Hornets' best interest to lock him up now and not risk having to pay a higher dollar amount following a true breakout season.

Evan Campos: Brandon Miller's health status

I will go ahead and take the low-hanging fruit here. With most of Charlotte's rotation fairly straightforward in terms of how it projects to shake out, the biggest storyline for me is where Miller's availability stands ahead of training camp.

With Miller still working his way back from his offseason left shoulder procedure, there has been very limited information on whether he will be ready to go for camp, the preseason, or the start of the regular season. In my opinion, Miller is Charlotte's best player right now and the team's most significant two-way piece. Having him healthy is critical to the Hornets not only potentially overachieving, but even meeting expectations this season.

In the event that Miller is not ready to go, who takes his place in the starting lineup, and how Head Coach Charles Lee handles that situation, becomes another important question. The last layer of intrigue for me is whether Miller's potential extension gets done before training camp as he enters his fourth season.

Owen O'Connor: The franchise without LaMelo Ball

Is it the obvious answer? Yes. Is it still the correct answer? Yes. LaMelo Ball has been part of the Hornets franchise every year since 2020, and the team looked like they took a huge step last season with Ball as their offensive engine. With him gone, there are now several questions as to whether or not the Hornets will not only get back to where they were a season ago, but if they will be able to reach that level in the foreseeable future without Ball. Charlotte is clearly building for the future, but any success for Ball in Minnesota will hang over this franchise like a dark cloud.

Zach Roberts: New-look roster

Aside from Kon Knueppel, most of the important Hornets had played together, and they honestly had excellent chemistry. That continuity likely helped, but it's gone now. There are a whole lot of new moving parts, and it's imperative for everyone to learn how to play with one another. It's also imperative for the coaching staff to find a way to use all these new players, since the rotation quite honestly might be significantly deeper now.