Hornets Star Makes Honest Confession on LaMelo Ball & Miles Bridges Trade After Amazing Run Last Season

Brandon Miller has been here before, watching a cornerstone teammate get sent elsewhere by a front office choosing a different direction. Miller arrived in Charlotte as the No. 2 pick in 2023 specifically to pair with LaMelo Ball's flashy, high-ceiling game, and the two spent time building real chemistry before Mark Williams, PJ Washington, and others cycled through around them.

That continuity ended this past July, when the Hornets sent Ball and Josh Green to Minnesota in a four-team blockbuster, part of a broader teardown that also shipped Miles Bridges to Phoenix.

Miller, now the player Charlotte is building its entire future around, addressed what that breakup actually felt like.

"Definitely a tough moment, but we also have to realize the business side of the NBA," Miller said on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Monday.

He made clear the trade hasn't changed how he views the relationships built during his time with Ball, Bridges, and the rest of that era's roster.

"I always preach being a brother away from home to LaMelo, Miles, Mark, and even the previous guys, PJ. It keeps going. Always being a little brother away from home to them, always one phone call away," added Miller.

The 6'7 Forward went further, describing what the bond with Ball means to him now that they're competitors instead of teammates.

"Having that bond where it's not just, 'We have to talk because we're on the same team.' He's my actual brother. I believe in him and what he does every day, and I support his career," Miller concluded.

Miller's statements stood out given how differently NBA front offices and players often talk about former teammates once business separates them.

The Ball and Bridges trades didn't just end two friendships inside the locker room. They reshaped what Charlotte expects from Miller. With both players gone, the Hornets have positioned Miller and Kon Knueppel as the new foundation of the franchise, and Miller is reportedly closing in on a contract extension that could exceed $200 million, using recent deals for Amen Thompson and Franz Wagner as market comparisons.

General manager Jeff Peterson has been direct about the thinking behind the moves. He said Charlotte's goal isn't simply to reach the play-in tournament or just the playoffs but to build something more sustainable, even if it means short-term growing pains without two of its more talented pieces.

Ball, for his part, has landed in a very different situation. He joined a Minnesota team that once reached the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons (2023-24 and 2024-25) and is already being treated as a title contender with him alongside Anthony Edwards.

That context makes Miller's comments feel like more than a routine farewell. He's watching a close friend get a real shot at contention elsewhere, while shouldering the responsibility of proving Charlotte's rebuild was worth the trade that sent him there.