Charlotte Hornets shut down No. 2 pick Brandon Miller for rest of NBA Summer League

The Charlotte Hornets have shut down Brandon Miller for the rest of the NBA Summer League, the team announced Thursday. The former Alabama star played in five games after the Hornets selected him No. 2 overall last month in the NBA Draft.

Miller averaged 15.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game for Charlotte between the California Classic and the Summer League. He also added 1.2 steals per game on defense.

One of Miller’s first big tests with Charlotte came in the Summer League opener against the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs, of course, selected Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. Miller talked about what it’s like going up against Wembanyama, saying while it wasn’t necessarily easy, it added to the excitement of getting Summer League started.

“I love it out here, man,” Miller told ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth. “Makes it kind of exciting that he’s actually guarding me. Just competing at a high level, having fun with it. I know he’s going to get his. I feel like it’s going to be a great game overall.”

One of Miller’s biggest games came against the Portland Trail Blazers. He dropped 26 points as Charlotte fell to Portland 97-93. However, that showing still got some high praise from Miller’s former coach, Nate Oats.

“He’s a shot maker, he obviously scores at a high level. But he handles it well, pick and rolls. Put the ball in his hands a little bit more this half, he’s played well with it. He’s a two-way guy. He can guard. Rebounds. Does a lot of things that impact winning. Arguably had our best season ever and he was a big part of the reason why,” Oats said from Las Vegas.

Now, Miller will be on the sidelines for the remainder of Summer League. The Hornets are set to be back on the court Thursday night against the New Orleans Pelicans at 6:30 p.m. ET.

Miller was the SEC’s Freshman of the Year in 2023 after a strong season at Alabama. He averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds for the Crimson Tide to cement his status as a top pick in the draft. Although there were some questions about who the Hornets would take at No. 2 — it was between Miller and Scoot Henderson — general manager Mitch Kupchak remained steadfast Miller was the choice the whole way.

On3’s Andrew Graham contributed to this report.