Teams continue to conduct thorough evaluations ahead of the 2023 NBA Draft but there seems to be a consensus top three: Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson, and Brandon Miller.
Wembanyama is widely expected to go No. 1 overall but then it’s anyone’s guess. Miller could climb the board and go No. 2 overall given that the Charlotte Hornets are set at the point. However, a dark cloud lingers over Miller that some believe is damaging his draft stock.
Asked by teams to explain his possible connection to the Darius Miles murder case from January, Miller’s answers have reportedly been unsatisfactory.
“Based on talent, [Miller] should be the No. 2 pick in the draft, and I believe if the draft was held tonight, he would be the No. 2 pick,” Jonathan Givony told the Woj Pod on Friday. “[Charlotte and Portland] have questions that still need to be answered. He went into his interviews at the NBA combine and told them, the 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.”
Any involvement Miller may have had in the case, and any potential civil consequences for that, are something teams must take into consideration before drafting him. The fact that he won’t discuss it to any degree is a potential red flag for those with high picks.
“That’s not good enough for teams. They have to answer to ownership and fanbases,” Givony said. “I just think that that’s not going to suffice for them. On one hand they’re saying he did nothing wrong. He isn’t being accused of any crimes. He’s not under investigation. He’s free and clear, in the words of his camp. On the other hand, they’re saying we can’t talk about it. So that’s where some of that uncertainty comes from. [Teams] are saying, but why?
Miller’s attorney previously released a statement saying the 20-year-old “never touched the gun” used to kill Jamea Harris and as Givony mentions, the Alabama product has not been charged with any crime. However, a police investigator testified in court that Miller did bring the firearm, which he did not own, to the scene of the crime.
Miller has until June 22 to answer the questions posed by Charlotte and Portland or risk getting passed over, however unlikely that seems at the moment.
