Canada’s Leonard Miller will forgo his college eligibility and turn pro, he told Joe Tipton of On3.com. The 6-foot-11 forward is considered a raw prospect at just 18 years old, but he’s No. 44 on ESPN’s big board and projected to be the No. 41 pick of the 2022 NBA draft in Jonathan Givony’s latest mock draft for ESPN (Insider link).
As Tipton notes, Miller has until June 13 to decide whether he wants to remain in the draft, which is the NBA’s withdrawal deadline, but he’ll be playing for a professional organization next season no matter what he decides at that point.
“My lifelong dream has been to play basketball at the highest level, and I’ve been fortunate to have had a number of amazing people in my life that have helped me pursue that dream.
After getting feedback from going through the NBA Draft process up to this point, I have decided to take the next step in that journey and move forward in the professional process,” Miller said.
In other draft-related news, Toledo’s Ryan Rollins will keep his name in the draft, according to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports (Twitter link). The news isn’t surprising, as Rollins was expected to remain in the draft. The 6-foot-4 shooting guard averaged 18.9 points, 6 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.7 steals on .468/.311/.802 shooting as a sophomore for the Rockets in 2021/22.
Like Miller, Rollins is a projected second-round pick. He’s No. 37 on ESPN’s big board and the No. 43 pick in Givony’s mock draft.