NBA Draft rumors: Hornets locked in on Brandon Miller at No. 2?
The NBA Draft lottery confirmed that the San Antonio Spurs would hold the No. 1 overall pick, and allow the team to draft another generational big man in Victor Wembanyama. With that, the NBA Draft officially begins at the No. 2 pick, which is held by the Charlotte Hornets. Besides Wembanyama, NBA G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson has had plenty of hype. Certainly, he would be the pick for the Hornets, right?
In his latest mock draft, The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor has the Hornets picking Alabama forward Brandon Miller with the second-overall pick. Here is what O'Connor writes:
"All indications suggest the Hornets are leaning toward Miller with this choice as a partner for LaMelo Ball. I'd go in that direction too over Scoot Henderson because Miller brings playmaking skill in his own right, on top of his go-to scoring prowess," writes O'Connor.
Miller was a superstar during his one season at Alabama, in which the team was one of the best in the country. In 37 games played, Miller averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists, while recording a 43.0 field goal percentage and 38.4 three-point percentage.
But during this past season, he was connected in the involvement in the death of Jamea Jonae Harris. Miller's teammate, Darius Miles, was charged with capital murder for shooting Harris. Miller was alleged to have delivered the handgun involved in the murder to Miles, according to a law enforcement testimony. The gun had belonged to Miles. Miller has not been charged, as Tuscaloosa's chief deputy district attorney revealed to AL.com that, "There's nothing we could charge him with," per the law.
Even with this off-court incident, the belief is that the Hornets will select him in the first round.
NBA Draft rumors: The Victor Wembanyama effect in full force in San Antonio
The Spurs were one of three teams to hold the best odds to secure the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery. They successfully won it, much to the chagrin of fanbases complaining that of course, the Spurs are selecting another elite big man with the first-overall pick. First David Robinson. Then Tim Duncan. Now, Victor Wembanyama.
As it turns out, even with the team going 22-60, San Antonio still cares about their basketball.
According to Axios, San Antonio was a top-five market for the first game of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat. Specifically, they ranked fifth with an 8.7 rating. Ranking ahead of them in order were Denver, Miami, Palm Beach, and Richmond-Petersburg, Virginia.
Axios writes that Spurs fans believe this could be credited to the team landing the No. 1 pick for the right to pick Wembanyama. Hey, when your team lands the top pick to select an elite prospect, you are probably going to have a renewed passion for the sport.
NBA Draft rumors: Trail Blazers say Shaedon Sharpe is off limits in a potential trade for the No. 3 pick
The Portland Trail Blazers managed to get a pick higher than the Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets, both of whom had worse records. This puts the Trail Blazers in a predicament. Do they stay put and select the best player available? Or do they move it to land a star player to pair alongside Damian Lillard?
According to Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the team is exploring trading the No. 3 pick, but the belief is that the team's 2022 first-round pick Shaedon Sharpe is "off limits" in a trade package.
"There's nothing promised about Portland's future at this juncture, either. But one detail has emerged from early trade conversations around the league: Trail Blazers officials have left inquiring teams with the impression that Shaedon Sharpe, the No. 7 pick in last year's draft, is off limits in any dialogue regarding the No. 3 pick," writes Fischer.
The Trail Blazers selected Sharpe with the seventh-overall pick after he redshirted his first and only year at Kentucky. Sharpe played in all but two games for Portland (15 starts), where he averaged 9.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while recording a field goal percentage of 47.2 and a three-point percentage of 36.0.
Based on this report, the Trail Blazers have high hopes for Sharpe, believing he can play an integral role on the team.