In the lead-up to the 2023 NBA Draft thus far, there has been a clear-cut top three comprising of Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller. For the majority of the past draft cycle, Henderson has been the favorite to go second overall, the best consolation prize for teams that miss out on Wembanyama. But with the Charlotte Hornets, a team with LaMelo Ball at the point, Miller, the sweet-shooting forward out of Alabama, has emerged as a legitimate option to be the second prospect to hear his name called on draft night.
Even then, nothing is certain at this point, especially when teams are still conducting their thorough evaluations through team workouts and interviews. And these thorough evaluations may not have been reflecting well on Miller.
Draft expert Jonathan Givony, in an appearance on The Woj Pod, revealed that teams don’t necessarily find Brandon Miller’s answers regarding his connection to the Darius Miles murder case back in February to be satisfactory.
“[Charlotte and Portland] have questions that still need to be answered. [Miller] went into his interviews at the NBA combine and told them, ‘Teams, I can’t talk about this specific stuff of the case. I can’t do the play-by-play of what happened that night. Here’s a legal document that my lawyers have prepared. It explains everything you need to know. I’m willing to talk about any other topic, but not that,’” Givony said.
“That’s not good enough for teams.”
Over three months ago, Brandon Miller’s attorneys released a statement saying that the 20-year old forward “never touched the gun” that was used in the senseless shooting of Jamea Harris. It stands to reason that that is the same statement teams have received from Miller’s camp as we draw closer to the NBA Draft.
Whatever the case may be, Miller’s talent and projected impact at the next level should still make him a high draft pick. How much he falls due to his unsatisfactory answers regarding his off-court issues, however, remains to be seen. (That is if he even falls, which is unlikely given that his connection to the shooting has been public knowledge for months, and it hasn’t seemed to affect his draft stock yet.)
