Alabama Professional Athletes

It was a week that captured everything Brandon Miller is — and everything Charlotte is betting he'll become.

The former Alabama forward signed a five-year, $209 million rookie-scale extension with the Hornets on Monday, cementing him as the franchise cornerstone of a post-LaMelo Ball rebuild. Head coach Charles Lee and GM Jeff Peterson flanked Miller at a press conference to announce the deal, making the bet official: this is Miller's team now.

Then the season started, and things got complicated fast.

The Crash and the Comeback

Miller's first extended look as the guy did not go well. In the Hornets' season opener Wednesday against Brooklyn, he posted 18 points on a modest night in a 110-103 win — watchable, but not franchise-player-dominant. Friday was worse. Charlotte hosted Atlanta and got blown out 128-81, and Miller was the focal point of fan frustration, finishing with just 6 points on 2-of-14 shooting, going 1-of-11 from three, and posting a staggering minus-37 in 22 minutes. The Spectrum Center crowd booed the Hornets off the floor at halftime, then louder as the Hawks pulled away.

Saturday, Miller answered. Against the Heat, he erupted for 34 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and a plus-20 in 36 minutes — a performance that looked exactly like the player worth $209 million. Charlotte won 115-110. One bad game, one catastrophic one, one statement. That's life at the top of a rebuilding roster, and Miller is living it in real time.

Sexton Finally Gets on the Floor

Across the country, Collin Sexton's Lakers debut had its own bumpy journey. The veteran guard missed all five preseason games with a right soleus strain and was ruled out for L.A.'s season opener against Golden State. He spent the early part of the week trending toward a return, and by Friday he was cleared from the injury report entirely.

Sexton made his Lakers debut Saturday against the Clippers — a 125-117 L.A. win — posting 5 points, 3 steals, and 2 assists in 16 minutes off the bench. Not a splashy line, but he was on the floor, healthy, and contributing in a Laker win. The calf that kept him sidelined through all of October is no longer the story.

Around the League

The Nets' Alabama duo of Keon Ellis and Noah Clowney played in both Brooklyn games this week. Ellis was the more consistent contributor, logging 7 points, 4 assists, 2 steals, and a block in the opener against Charlotte before adding 6 points and 2 steals Saturday against Cleveland. Clowney provided a quiet 9 points and 3 boards in the Nets' loss to the Hornets, then matched that energy with 4 points and 4 rebounds in the Cleveland game.

Herbert Jones logged two appearances for the Pelicans in a tough week for New Orleans — a narrow loss to Indiana and a one-point home loss to Utah — though his role remained limited at 16-17 minutes per game. Labaron Philon picked up three minutes for Philadelphia in a win over Milwaukee on Saturday, his most notable action of the week for a 76ers squad that, per reports, faces real questions about how his development fits alongside their win-now roster construction.

The Brandon Miller extension is the headline of Alabama's NBA week. But whether Charlotte made the right bet will take a full season — or more — to know.

Alabama's two most prominent NBA alumni are staring down very different kinds of uncertainty as the 2026-27 season tips off — one needs a contract, the other needs to stay healthy enough to play.

Brandon Miller: Charlotte's New Face, Ticking Clock

The LaMelo Ball era in Charlotte is over, and Brandon Miller is the one left holding the keys. The former Alabama forward has spoken candidly about the weight of that transition, telling SiriusXM NBA Radio that the trade was hard to accept at first — but the responsibility is now squarely his.

The timing couldn't be more loaded. Miller and the Hornets are barreling toward a contract extension deadline with no deal in place. Per reports from Heavy Sports and Bleacher Report, Miller is widely viewed as the franchise's cornerstone, and a max-level extension — potentially north of $200 million — has been discussed. But the clock is real: if Charlotte and Miller don't reach an agreement before the deadline, the conversation shifts to restricted free agency next summer, a messier and more uncertain road for both sides.

Miller wrapped up the preseason against Memphis and the Celtics, giving Charlotte's fanbase its first extended look at him as the unquestioned No. 1 option. The Hornets fell to Boston in one preseason outing, but the bigger game — the negotiation — is the one that defines this franchise's next half-decade. Miller has the leverage; Charlotte has the urgency. Something has to give.

Collin Sexton: Lakers Debut in Limbo

Sexton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason as part of a sweeping roster overhaul following LeBron James' departure — a rebuild now centered on Luka Doncic. But the former Alabama guard has yet to appear in a single preseason game, sidelined by a lower-leg injury that head coach JJ Redick has described as day-to-day.

The updates have been a rollercoaster. Heavy Sports reported bad news on his status earlier in the preseason window, only for Redick to offer a more encouraging signal — that Sexton was "trending in the right direction" ahead of the preseason finale. He ultimately missed the Warriors game and was listed among notable absences alongside Doncic (resting) and Ziaire Williams.

The stakes extend beyond Sexton himself. His absence has created a ripple effect on the Lakers' roster decisions, with reports noting the injury gave Bronny James a better shot at cracking the final roster. Some voices have already warned the Lakers against committing big money to Sexton long-term. For now, the more pressing question is whether he'll be ready for opening night.

JD Davison: End of the Road in Orlando

Less dramatically but no less definitively, JD Davison's stint with the Orlando Magic is over before it really began. The Magic waived Davison — who spent time with the Celtics organization before landing in Orlando on a camp deal — as part of a roster trim following their preseason finale win over Miami. Davison had been competing as a camp addition with no guaranteed path to the rotation. He's now a free agent looking for his next opportunity.

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Three Alabama alumni, three different NBA realities heading into opening week. Miller is a franchise pillar waiting on his payday. Sexton is a key signing trying to prove he can stay on the floor. And Davison is back on the market, searching for a foothold. The Crimson Tide's NBA footprint is wide — it just looks very different depending on where you're standing.

Alabama's NBA alumni are generating some of the biggest storylines of the preseason — and neither of the two headliners is doing it from a healthy practice floor.

Brandon Miller: Money Talks, Injury Walks

Brandon Miller is the most coveted unsigned player in Charlotte, and the Hornets intend to keep it that way. The fourth-year forward is reportedly in active extension talks with the organization on a rookie-scale max deal worth over $200 million, with Miller's camp eyeing comparable contracts secured by Franz Wagner, OG Anunoby, and Amen Thompson as benchmarks. The Hornets have an October 19 deadline to get a deal done before Miller hits restricted free agency territory, and by all accounts both sides are motivated.

The timing, however, is awkward. Miller suffered a shin contusion during a recent practice session and was ruled out of Charlotte's preseason matchup against the Nets — leaving a Hornets team already reeling from injuries to Kon Knueppel and Coby White even thinner heading into camp. The Hornets announced a Miller-less starting five for that contest, a reminder that however bright Miller's franchise-cornerstone ceiling looks on paper, Charlotte's injury luck has been brutal.

There's also noise on the trade front: a proposed three-team blockbuster surfaced this week that would send Miller to Golden State. The chatter reflects just how widely around the league Miller is viewed as a cornerstone-caliber talent — which, if anything, probably stiffens Charlotte's resolve to lock him up before October 19.

Collin Sexton: Big Stage, Uncertain Status

A few hundred miles west on the glamour spectrum, Collin Sexton signed with the Los Angeles Lakers to play alongside Luka Doncic — and coach JJ Redick has been effusive about the fit, describing his new additions as purpose-built pieces around his star. Sexton, for his part, has made clear he's determined to silence critics about his defense and use the Lakers' spotlight to prove his full value.

The problem: nobody's seen him play yet. Sexton has been absent from preseason action with a lingering injury, and Redick admitted he doesn't know when the guard will make his preseason debut. A Lakers shootaround this week offered little clarity on his status, and an NBA insider flagged Sexton's health as a genuine concern for a franchise that has already absorbed the departure of LeBron James and is leaning heavily on its new acquisitions to deliver. With Walker Kessler also working through his own injury, the Lakers' depth is being stress-tested before a meaningful minute has been played.

At $19 million, Sexton is one of Los Angeles' key investments. The longer he sits, the louder the questions get.

Around the Rest of the Tide

Outside the two headliners, Herbert Jones continues to carve out a role in New Orleans. Jones appeared in the Pelicans' preseason opener against Oklahoma City, assisting on Zion Williamson's thunderous first bucket of the preseason — a cameo that underscores his value as a facilitating wing. Meanwhile, Keon Ellis — now with the Brooklyn Nets after two seasons in Sacramento — cited his relationship with new head coach Jordi Fernandez as the decisive factor in signing with Brooklyn, and scouts are watching to see if a full season under a familiar system unlocks a breakout campaign for the Alabama product.

It's early October, and Alabama has four alumni already making news. Roll Tide — if everyone can stay healthy long enough to play.