Hornets rule out Grayson Allen and Christian Anderson Jr. against Bucks as Brandon Miller returns

The Charlotte Hornets will be without guards Grayson Allen and Christian Anderson Jr. for Sunday night’s preseason game against the Milwaukee Bucks, but they get Brandon Miller back on the floor for the first time this exhibition schedule.

The club’s media relations staff posted the update roughly two hours before tip-off at Spectrum Center. Allen is sitting with soreness in his right knee, and Anderson, the team’s first-round pick in June, has a sprained left ankle. Charlotte did not say whether either player had imaging or how long they might be out, so the timeline for both remains unclear.

Allen’s absence takes a veteran shooter out of the lineup that opened the preseason. He started the October 6 game against the Brooklyn Nets and was one of the few bright spots in a 124-90 defeat, scoring 13 points in just over 14 minutes while making all three of his attempts from deep. Anderson did not appear in that game.

Miller back after a practice knock

Miller’s return is the more welcome part of the update for Charlotte. The forward bruised his shin in a practice session last week, a detail first reported by Brett Siegel, and the Hornets held him out of the Brooklyn game while listing him as day-to-day. The team now says he is ready to play.

His health carries extra weight this month. Miller is eligible for a rookie-scale extension, and talks between his camp and the front office must produce a deal by 6 p.m. ET on Monday, October 19, or he heads toward restricted free agency next summer.

A thin backcourt in camp

The Hornets were already managing a long list. A game preview from Sports Illustrated’s Bucks site listed Kon Knueppel (hamstring), Coby White (calf) and Grant Williams (hamstring) as out, along with two-way player Kylan Boswell (knee). Charlotte did not repeat those designations in Sunday’s post.

Anderson, a guard taken 18th overall out of Texas Tech, averaged 18.5 points and 7.4 assists as a sophomore and led the Big 12 in assists. Losing preseason minutes slows his push for a rotation role behind the veterans.

What comes next

After facing Milwaukee (Game Center), Charlotte visits the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, October 14, at 7:30 p.m. ET (Game Center), then plays at Memphis on Friday, October 16 (Game Center). Follow every update on the league-wide injury report.