It was difficult to find even one NBA executive at the draft combine in Chicago who believes that G League Ignite Scoot Henderson will be the pick at No. 2 in the draft over Alabama forward Brandon Miller, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Insider link). Still, as he stated last week on Zach Lowe’s podcast, Givony isn’t quite ready to lock in Miller as the Hornets‘ choice at No. 2.
According to Givony, Hornets president of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak weighs individual team workouts more heavily than many executives, and there’s a possibility Henderson will have a more impressive workout than Miller, who has been recovering from mononucleosis and has lost 13 pounds since the end of the NCAA season, per agent Wilmer Jackson. After meeting with a dozen teams at the combine, including the Hornets, Miller intends to fly to Charlotte in mid-June for a workout and a second interview, says Givony.
The Hornets are also doing due diligence into Miller’s connection to a fatal January shooting, sending their own attorneys to Tuscaloosa this week to look into the matter, Givony writes. Team executives at the combine said that Miller had a legal brief written by his lawyers advising clubs that the 20-year-old wouldn’t be able to comment on specific details related to that case due to ongoing legal proceedings.
According to Givony, some teams have concerns about how possible lawsuits or follow-up investigations into the incident could impact Miller, but Jackson insists his client is “free and clear” of any wrongdoing.
“The case is still open, and Brandon has had limited communication for that reason,” Jackson said. “He’s been cleared from day one. We were told by the attorneys not to speak about the situation. At the right time we can have that conversation, but for now, we’re leaving it alone and will let the process complete itself.”
Here’s more on the Hornets:
- G League Ignite Anthony McClish has nothing but praise for Henderson, who in turn seems genuinely excited about the Hornets’ core and the possibility of playing in Charlotte, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. “He’s going to be loved by coaches, he’s going to be loved by teammates, he’s going to be loved by fans and youth in the community,” McClish said of Henderson, who spent two seasons with the Ignite. “He’s uplifted our building. He’s been our beacon of what we want to have as an example, in terms of our values and carrying a program.”
- After sitting out last season due to his domestic violence case, former Hornets forward Miles Bridges will once again be a restricted free agent this offseason, assuming Charlotte reissues a qualifying offer. The Hornets’ front office would like to have Bridges back on the roster next season, sources tell Givony.
- Since a March report indicated that Michael Jordan was mulling the possibility of selling his majority stake in the Hornets, there have been few updates. According to Givony, one reason for the delay is that Jordan was waiting to see if Charlotte would land the No. 1 overall pick before making any decisions. It’s unclear if – or how – snagging the No. 2 pick might affect Jordan’s plans, or when a potential sale might occur, Givony says.
Hornets trade the pick for two major reasons. Get off a bad contract to bring back key players like bridges. Bring in a star that wants to be paid. Brown from Boston. Move Gordon to the jazz where he said he wants to if the jazz will have him.
Jazz would like to have the 2 pick and have the cap space and draft capital to help Boston and also help the hornets achieve then goals.
Boston can get Clarkson or sexton as an option on a sign and trade or simply get draft capital. Would 3 picks be enough?
Jazz also get two seconds from hornets and send out gay and jones.
Jazz can land free agent or two or retain Clarkson. Can also draft 2 and 9 or even 16 if they want to have future picks or combination.
Should Boston move brown as we know brown wants a max? Will brown demand a max or trade?
Should hornets go big with proven talent like brown and bring back that talented core with bridge etc?
Will jazz fans embrace Gordon? Gordon family likes utah. Maybe Hayward gets playing food again or it’s just a salary dump. Setting jazz up for next year. Jazz do have one 2024 top10 protected pick. Maybe they benefit by losing or maybe they really good?
What do you all think of this trade?
Don’t get me wrong, as a Hornets fan, I’d love to have Brown; I just don’t think it’s very likely Boston has any interest in doing what you’re proposing.
Boston will have a much harder decision to make. Brown wants a max and he will leverage the hornets jazz or any team willing to pay him. It’s a players league.
Your right in that Boston will work hard to keep him but brown and all the nba fans are challenge these tough decisions.
Hornets just need a deal maker like the jazz. Jazz ainge knows mj and Boston well.
It may come down to a bet on the golf course.
It’ll be up to brown. I’m not saying jazz or blazers or mavs don’t want brown. They all do but brown holds the cards and the jazz are the middle man that can get their 2,3 pick as rumored. They have draft capital and cap space so look to jazz as well.
No doubt in my mind 2,3,4,5 10 all being shopped.
Will brown get his max?
I can see what you’re proposing from the Hornets and Jazz’s side, and also Brown being able to get his max deal. If you’re Boston though, don’t you just give Brown the max deal? They didn’t want to trade Brown for Durant, reportedly. So if they think that much of him, how do you then trade him for Clarkson or Sexton and picks? It feels like a step back competitively.
Boston side is either pay brown the max or he walks for nothing. The time is now for Boston to make that decision. The other teams are motivated and in position.
Boston could get players or no players but picks are there to be had….
Clarkson is playing his best ball. 21,5,5 guy.
A magician.
draft scoot Henderson at number 2 and then go hard after Jaylen Brown in free agency
Best time to get him is now. Already have ball. Scoot or miller are a distraction when hornets can get brown now. Hornets would be competing at a high level right now.
More bust then booms in the draft. Hornets are wasting time with potential for sure. All that hype leads to discouragement. Some get lucky.
We know what’s good so get rid off the seas weight and bring in a star now.
Ball is not going to factor into the Hornets long term plans…
Unless it’s as a 6th man playing limited minutes so he can stay on the court…
Move ball and keep scoot. Same trade partners and scenarios. Some worried ball injuries will impact long term.
Let another team have him.
Comes down to philosophy and what is in it for each trade partner.
Hornets need to pursue brown.
This is straight up hilarious, tell me you don’t watch hornets game without telling me
Don’t need to watch any team when running a hypothetical trade. Comes down to philosophy and rules.
Is brown an upgrade? If so how do you build around that and also be under the luxury tax?
New cba will force owners to play fair.
No more warriors crap.
Hornets have the same problem all teams have…the issue is how to deal with bad contracts and injuries. Upside opportunities in the draft?
How to spend the cap with their players etc.
Ran the trade machine to meet rules and have a discussion on how does it improve and create win win scenarios.
In every scenario it take a three team deal to maximize benefits to all teams.
Also did four teams. No doubt teams will be busy prioritizing all this stuff.
Hornets draft Henderson, ball at SG, Bridges SF, Washington or someone else at pf, someone or Williams at C. Trade rozier and Hayward for something
Some hornet fans would like to trade rozier and Hayward. Trade both to the jazz. It’ll cost some picks to offload. For jazz to absorb would require hornets to take back a player like sexton or Clarkson.
Rozier isn’t over performing and Gordon is just bad .
Perhaps jazz see more value in that pick and do it. In reality, the jazz can just use their cap to retain Clarkson and free agency. They will draft as well.
The issue in my mind isn’t the jazz. Ainge knows what he wants and that is to do deals. He is good at it.
He will even bet MJ. Not like they aren’t golfing buddies. Both are competitive and like to compete.
Can be a two team trade but a three team makes more sense value for value propositions.
I can see how Boston hornets and jazz all benefit in the spirit of compromise.
Imo boston should move on from brown. If they learned anything from Ainge is don’t fall in love with your assets for too long. Ainge made killer deals by moving prime assets for other opportunities that led to a good Boston team for years.
This year draft is deep enough and with future assets and cap for other deals makes sense for Boston now and future.
Just me but the owners and players all like to make money and still be relevant.
Hayward isn’t a bad basketball player when he’s healthy. Statistically, he’s still averaging right around his career averages. He has value. The two big drawbacks with Hayward are his contract (Jordan’s fault, not Hayward’s) and the injury risk that comes with him.
Speaking as a Hornets fan, I don’t think it’s worth giving up a ton of picks to offload him at this point in his deal. If they can get something of value back, then okay. The cap relief isn’t that essential though at this point.
With that attitude the hornets will always be mismanaged and stuck in purgatory.
What you said is true….Gordon has injury issues and is super expensive. Nobody will take him without the hornets offering an incentive. That’s just how the nba is and the hornets may have to eat it.
The 2nd pick can be used to solve a terry and or Gordon conundrum. Most see them as move able pieces.
However, hornets are split three ways on should it be miller or scoot or traded.
Because there is so much talent in free agency, the draft and on the roster…hornets should shop it and trade up.
Maybe jazz like or then again maybe they just as confused on all their options.
Imo boston has a good problem but it’s a massive decision. Signing brown to max is problematic. So hard to manage the roster when it gets top heavy. This may be another time they trade one of their stars for a haul.
All teams under the new cba will need to manage the cap or face MAJOR restrictions.
I’m a realist. The number don’t lie. The draft creates more busts then booms. But it is one way to grow a team. Manage cap space is critical in ALL phases.
Will see what happens but the off-season will be crazy.
Sounds like Brandon “shooter” Miller is at a disadvantage if Kupchak uses live workouts as the final decision maker.
Sounds like Kupchak will do his best to get the best player available in the draft.
It’d be interesting if they choose someone not scoot, or shooter
I was all-in on Miller initially, not realizing the off the court stuff with him. The basketball fit is perfect.
I’d honestly prefer they move back or trade the pick for a contributing NBA player in his prime now, though.
Miller was cleared. Miller is a good fit. What’s better then scoot or miller? Brown
Dump Gordon and or terry. Get jazz to send picks to boston and jazz can keep the 2023 and some second.
That’s a high flying team ready to go right now.
Boston get rewarded and just continue their rebuild which is hard process and hornets have their group with additional star power.
They have no choice to get the best player available…
The only good players the Hornets have are unreliable… Injury prone or have anger management issues…
Plenty of choices. Miller and scoot are best players available and fall in the same tier or group. Hornets will have to choose and it goes beyond that…
Hornets should either trade the pick or trade other picks if they keep the 2nd.
Move rozier or Gordon.
Get brown first and foremost. Brown is demanding a max. Put boston in a pickle by teaming up with the jazz. Ainge is the key as he knows all three teams execs and players.
Ainge the trader can make it happen.
Brown to hornets moves the needle big time.
If boston was flinching, and they should flinch because the amount of picks being offered and or players would have to make boston think twice….
Hornets keeping ball and scoot is just an internal thing to resolve.
Understanding what motivates players and owners is another matter
Orlando Magic trades: Chuma Okeke, Wendell Carter Jr.,Gary Harris (can be waived on draft day),6th and 11 pick and future pick via Nuggets.
Charlotte Hornets trades: Terry Rozier, Kai Jones and #2 pick.
Interesting proposition…why?
Obviously magic would improve their already talented roster. Offer 3 picks but rozier is expensive. Some might view it that way but maybe his useful. Depends on hornets core and if they want to tie up their cap.
Some hornets fans would turn it down and bank on scoot.
Would this proposition have enough it?
Have to run the trade machine and see if it help a improve now and the future.
Hornets can also flip the 6th for two more picks. 2023 and future.
Few ways to play this proposition.
Also few other teams with crazy offers…
What to do for now and for later?
Hmm ….