When the Charlotte Hornets are on the clock with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, they could lean toward Brandon Miller and not Scoot Henderson.
Henderson was long considered the second-best prospect in this class behind Victor Wembanyma, and Wembanyama has even said that the G League Ignite star would be the NBA’s top prospect in any other class. But some believe Henderson is a “suboptimal fit” in the backcourt for LaMelo Ball.
That means despite a poor performance for Alabama during March Madness, Miller could hear his name called with the No. 2 overall pick when it’s the Hornets’ time to pick.
Additionally, there are some important questions surrounding Miller’s alleged involvement in a fatal shooting in Alabama that killed 23-year-old Jamea Harris in January.
RELATED: Everything we know about Alabama basketball star Brandon Miller’s alleged ties to a deadly shooting
A court hearing in February revealed Miller was not only at the scene but also allegedly transported the gun used in the shooting. Miller cooperated as a witness, according to investigators and Alabama athletics, and has not been charged with a crime regarding his involvement.
Recent reporting from NBA insiders suggests that this incident is not a concern for teams who are considering drafting Miller on June 22. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski noted that Miller has received high praise from NBA teams so far during the pre-draft process.
Woj on NBA teams' feedback on #Alabama's Brandon Miller: "Not only did they not find anything that they would consider disqualifying to select Brandon Miller, they are finding a young man who they say is mature, focused, whose character and his habits are actually an asset."
— Charlie Potter (@Charlie_Potter) May 17, 2023
According to Wojnarowski, front offices have spent considerable time and resources “on that particular event” and have investigated his background as well.
Woj reported teams are finding that Miller is “mature” and “focused” and that his character is “actually an asset” in their evaluations.
RELATED: Brandon Miller’s alleged role in horrific shooting leaves us with more questions than answers
The Athletic‘s David Aldridge provided further reporting on the subject:
“Not one team I contacted Wednesday – including some teams that might be in a position to draft Miller, and others that won’t – thought his draft position would suffer in any way because of his role in the shooting.”
For The Win has Miller projected at No. 2 overall in our latest NBA Mock Draft. So does ESPN‘s Jonathan Givony, The Ringer‘s Kevin O’Connor and NBA Big Board’s Raphael Barlowe.
While it’s a bit surprising that Miller has improved his draft stock since the incident in question, Aldridge asked around to see if what happened on Jan. 15 will impact Miller’s draft position and reported some NBA teams’ responses:
“I think, probably not? I’d be very surprised if it did,” said one executive from a team currently not in position to draft Miller in his current expected range.
Said another executive, whose team also isn’t in the running: “I don’t believe there will be any impact unless he lies in his interviews. Integrity is more relevant than criminal friends; one we can fix, the other, we can’t.”
Said a third, whose team … could be: “I don’t think it will impact his draft stock unless he ends up being charged with something.”
Aldridge spoke to a fourth team, and that individual told him that the intel on Miller is “coming back pretty good” so far.
That is important information for us to consider as we continue discussions about Miller until the night of the NBA Draft and beyond.
As my colleague Mike Sykes wrote during Miller’s nightmarish performance during March Madness, we don’t know exactly what Miller’s role was in this fatal shooting. This entire story has left us with more questions than answers.
But we do know that Jamea Harris lost her life, and that’s not something we or Miller should soon forget — no matter where he ends up playing basketball next season.
