Scoot Henderson Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Hornets, Quickley, Bulls, Dobner

June 29th, 2023 at 8:44am CST by Arthur Hill

A report last Thursday that the Hornets were giving renewed consideration to taking Scoot Henderson with the No. 2 pick was a late attempt to get the Trail Blazers to trade up, Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports said on the Basketball Illuminati Podcast.

“I don’t think this was done (with) betting markets, conspiracy, blah, blah, blah,” Fischer said (hat tip to Real GM). “I think the Hornets tried to get a little savvy.”

Fischer points out that Charlotte general manager Mitch Kupchak tried a similar tactic in 2015 when he had the No. 2 pick as GM of the Lakers. Kupchak was deciding between D’Angelo Russell and Jahlil Okafor and didn’t communicate to their agents what he planned to do.

“I believe the Hornets did not tell Brandon Miller or Scoot until right on the clock that they were going either direction to continue that misdirection, mystery or whatever you call,” Fischer added. “I think it was a concerted effort by the Hornets to drum up some trade interest there.”

There’s more from the Eastern Conference:

An NBA executive tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that he thinks Immanuel Quickley will want “nine figures” over four years in his extension talks this summer. The Knicks guard helped his bargaining position with an outstanding third season that saw him finish second in the Sixth Man of the Year voting. “I can’t say the Knicks will go that high but they might have to,” the executive said. “He is not a guy you want to send to restricted free agency.”
The Bulls didn’t address their need for outside shooting in the draft, so they’re likely to look for shooters in free agency, per Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic. Chicago’s only pick was Julian Phillips, who shot 23.9% from behind the arc on 46 attempts last season at Tennessee. The Bulls ranked last in three-point attempts per game the past two years, and general manager Marc Eversley believes recently hired shooting coach Peter Patton will help. “Peter comes to us not only as a shooting coach but somebody who can oversee our player development function,” Eversley said. “… And we feel like he can help the overall look and feel of how we play the game and shoot the ball.”
Sidney Dobner will be the first female assistant coach in the history of the Bucks, the team stated in a press release announcing Adrian Griffin‘s staff. This will be Dobner’s sixth season with the franchise.

Blazers Notes: Scoot, Fit, Contention, Lillard

June 25th, 2023 at 3:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

New Trail Blazers rookie point guard Scoot Henderson, selected with the third pick out of the G League Ignite on Thursday, raved about his fit in Portland and aspires to play alongside incumbent Blazers point guard Damian Lillard, writes Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.

“I feel like Portland was the best situation for me,” Henderson said. “[Former Ignite teammate] Pooh Jeter is there right now with the G League and stuff like that, and then me texting Dame two years ago. It all came full circle.”

“I think it would be great just to learn from him, just to sit back and really observe a great player,” Henderson said of Lillard. “Especially just being that close to him and going there. Especially just the guard he was coming into the league and how he was fearless. Fearless of anybody. And how he kind of came in and impacted the game at a high level. Yeah, just to learn from that, it would be great.”

There’s more out of Portland:

Trail Blazers general manager Joe Cronin defended the club’s decision to draft Henderson in lieu of trading the selection for more experienced help, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. “I would say we made the biggest move possible by drafting Scoot Henderson,” Cronin said. “He’s going to be better than any player that would maybe be perceived as that big move. And then you start to factor in other things that matter in this league — the salary cap, (Henderson) on a rookie scale — that allows us to build a lot more depth than we would have been able to otherwise.”
No trade exists to transform Portland into a true title contender this season, Adrian Wojnarowksi of ESPN suggested during a TV appearance (Twitter video link). If he truly wants to win a title with the team that drafted him, Lillard will need to wait a bit longer, in Wojnarowski’s view. “There’s no magic trade out there for them [to carve out a championship path in 2023/24],” Woj said. “I think Portland did what was right by their organization, and their front office trading out of No. 3 for whatever the best available veteran would’ve been [instead of drafting Henderson], it would’ve been malpractice.”
After Lillard was seen on his Instagram Live blasting Will Smith’s “Miami” on Friday, his agent Aaron Goodwin told Sam Amick of The Athletic that the song was in no way Lillard’s choice, and wasn’t an indication that he wants the Trail Blazers to move him to the Heat this summer. The seven-time All-Star was enjoying his offseason in a Parisian club when a local DJ decided to poke fun at his situation by playing the song, Goodwin explained. “The music was just a coincidence,” Goodwin told Amick. “Damian’s not disrespectful… That’s why he laughed (in the video). It’s a funny coincidence that a DJ would put that on.”

Pelicans Notes: Hawkins, Roster, Scoot, Miles

June 23rd, 2023 at 6:20pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

With the No. 14 pick in the lottery last night, the Pelicans opted to play it safe in drafting Connecticut shooting guard Jordan Hawkins. William Guillory of The Athletic considers the 6’5″ swingman, who won a title with the Huskies this past spring, the ideal new addition to the club heading into the 2023/24 season.

New Orleans had been floated in potential trade scenarios for the Trail Blazers’ eventual No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson, as the team has clearly been hamstrung by major injury issues plaguing star forwards Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram.

“He takes pride in what gets him on the court, and he understands what his game really is,” team president David Griffin said of Hawkins. “I think the winning nature of his background and the way he approaches the game really fits well with us. I know our coaching staff was really excited when they saw him work out.”

There’s more out of New Orleans:

Pelicans general manager Trajan Langon is not anticipating major personnel changes this summer after the team opted to hold onto its draft pick, writes Christian Clark of NOLA.com. “I don’t foresee a whole lot of change between now and then,” Langdon said. “I think we are happy with our roster.” Griffin, meanwhile, offered a hint into what skills New Orleans is looking to add during the rest of the offseason. “We were looking for rim protection and shooting [in assessing draft candidates],” Griffin said. “We feel like we certainly addressed part of that [during the draft]. But I think as we go through, if we’re able to address that other portion, we would.”
New Trail Blazers point guard Henderson, the third pick in Thursday’s draft, explained his pre-draft meeting with the Pelicans, who reportedly had some interest in trading up to acquire him, per Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic. Henderson indicated that the encounter amounted to “just making sure I wasn’t missing on any opportunity or anything like that.”
The Pelicans continue to build out their bench for 2023/24 behind third-year head coach Willie Green. Marc J. Spears of Andscape reports (Twitter link) that New Orleans is expected to hire ex-Celtics assistant coach Aaron Miles, a former colleague of Green’s when both were assistants on the Warriors.

Hornets Notes: Miller, Ball, Bridges, Washington, Free Agency

June 23rd, 2023 at 1:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

For all the outside speculation about who the Hornets would take with their No. 2 pick, general manager Mitch Kupchak says the team never wavered in its commitment to Brandon Miller, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Kupchak admits serious consideration was given to G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson, as both players were brought in Monday for a second workout and a meeting with team owner Michael Jordan. Miller solidified his status at that session, Kupchak confirmed in a post-draft press conference Thursday night.

“It wasn’t the easiest of decisions, but Brandon was our favorite all along,” he said. “A lot of spirited discussion the last three or four days, which I welcome, and I think it’s good for the basketball department to discuss pros and cons, pluses and minuses, argue a little bit. So, obviously, our opinion from the beginning did not change.”

The Hornets were attracted to Miller because he’s a better fit alongside point guard LaMelo Ball and he gives the team another outside shooting threat, connecting at 38.4% from long distance at Alabama this season. Although Charlotte was firm in its decision to take the freshman forward, he wasn’t told before the pick was announced by Commissioner Adam Silver.

“I found out literally when they were calling my name,” Miller said. “I was still on the phone. My reaction was a lot of excitement, smiles, hugs and handshakes. I knew my mom was going to cry, she was going to shed a tear. But there’s nothing wrong with crying, I think it happens to the best.”

There’s more from Charlotte:

Kupchak also offered an update on Ball, who underwent surgery on March 1 for a fractured right ankle, Boone states in a separate story. “His rehab, the bone was probably 100% healed six weeks ago,” Kupchak said. “In terms of MRIs and X-rays, it’s 100% healed. He’s been on the basketball court for four to six weeks, running, shooting, jumping. He has not scrimmaged yet. He’s not played one-on-one, two-on-two. He could, but we are not even July 1 yet. What’s the rush? So, he’s … I can’t say ahead of schedule. This is exactly what the doctor expected, so we are good.”
Kupchak refused to talk about the possible return of Miles Bridges, who sat out all of last season after pleading no contest to felony domestic violence, Boone adds. However, Kupchak told reporters that re-signing free agent forward P.J. Washington remains a priority for the offseason.
The Hornets will try to find a veteran leader for their young team in free agency, tweets Mike Kaye of The Charlotte Observer. Kupchak said there are players on the roster who can eventually grow into leaders, but he doesn’t see anyone who’s ready for that role yet.

Lillard Won’t Rush Into Decision About Future With Trail Blazers

June 23rd, 2023 at 2:02am CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers held onto their draft picks instead of trading them for veteran help like Damian Lillard preferred, but Shams Charania of The Athletic (video link) said the star guard doesn’t plan to make any snap judgments about his future with the team (hat tip to Real GM).

“I’m told the timeline for when the future will land with Damian Lillard likely extends now between tonight and the start of free agency and into free agency,” Charania said on Stadium’s draft show.

Portland used the No. 3 selection to take G League Ignite star Scoot Henderson, who was considered a definitive top-three pick. The Blazers received trade overtures from several teams, including the Pelicans, Charania states. However, he didn’t specify if New Orleans was willing to include Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram in its offer.

Lillard stated after the end of the regular season that he wasn’t interested in playing another year with a young, rebuilding franchise. He hasn’t asked for a trade, but teams throughout the league are reportedly monitoring the situation and preparing offers in case he does ask to leave.

There’s more on Lillard and the Blazers:

Lillard appears to be in control of his future in Portland, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, who said on the network’s draft coverage that the Blazers will only consider moving Lillard if he asks for a trade (hat tip to Real GM). “Damian Lillard has a decision to make,” Wojnarowski said. “… If he decides he wants a trade, I think the organization will accommodate him. But they don’t want to trade him.” Woj adds that the Blazers front office believes Henderson is more valuable than any return they could have gotten through a trade.
General manager Joe Cronin said he had a “long talk” with Lillard on Tuesday about ways to improve the team, tweets Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. Cronin said Henderson “has a chance to be a transcendent player” and stated that he doesn’t believe Lillard is closer to leaving because of the team’s draft decisions. “He’s probably being more vocal than ever, but I don’t look at that as a negative,” Cronin said (Twitter link).
Sources tell Chris Haynes of TNT and Bleacher Report that Lillard hasn’t been in touch with Blazers officials recently regarding the draft, free agency or his future with the team (Twitter link).

Trail Blazers Draft Scoot Henderson Third Overall

June 22nd, 2023 at 7:25pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Trail Blazers have selected G League Ignite star point guard Scoot Henderson with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft.

The Blazers were long rumored to be exploring a trade involving the No. 3 pick as they sought impact veterans to complement Damian Lillard, but it appears they ultimately didn’t find a deal they liked and opted to hang onto the selection.

It will be interesting to see now whether the Henderson pick signifies the beginning of the end of Lillard’s Portland tenure.

Henderson is considered by draft experts to have All-NBA upside, and it’s unclear whether or not Lillard will be content playing alongside a rookie point guard in a now-crowded backcourt that also features undersized shooting guard Anfernee Simons. It’s possible the selection of Henderson will be the first in a series of moves involving the Blazers’ backcourt this summer.

An athletic 6’4″ lead guard, Henderson averaged 16.5 PPG, 6.5 APG, 5.4 RPG, 1.1 SPG and 0.5 BPG across 19 regular season contests for the Ignite in 2022/23. He represents the rare high-level prospect who spends two seasons with the Ignite, having graduated high school a year early for the opportunity to get extra pro seasoning.

An explosive athlete with a quick first step, Henderson is a dangerous threat to score both in transition and the half-court. His long-range shooting continues to need work, as he has not converted more than 30% of his triple tries during either of his two G League seasons. He is a good rebounder for his size and is considered an instinctive passer.

Western Notes: Pelicans, Henderson, Clippers, Grizzlies, Warriors

June 22nd, 2023 at 6:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Pelicans were granted a meeting with star prospect Scoot Henderson this week, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). New Orleans’ interest in trading into the top three of the draft in order to land Henderson has been well documented this month, but according to Charania, the Hornets (No. 2) and Trail Blazers (No. 3) have expressed little interest in moving their lottery picks. We’ll see if that changes when they’re on the clock in a matter of minutes.

Here’s more from around the West as we wait for the draft to get underway:

Law Murray of The Athletic identifies some possible free agent targets for the Clippers, noting that the team’s cap situation will make it difficult to tangibly upgrade the roster in free agency and suggesting L.A. may have to rely on the trade market instead.
Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal takes a look at the three-team Marcus Smart/Kristaps Porzingis/Tyus Jones deal from the Grizzlies‘ perspective, exploring why the front office decided to pull the trigger and what the club is getting in Smart.
Mike Dunleavy Jr.‘s first move as the Warriors‘ new general manager is a deal that makes it clear the franchise is prioritizing the present over the future, writes Tim Kawakami of The Athletic in his analysis of Golden State’s Chris Paul/Jordan Poole swap with Washington. Anthony Slater of The Athletic also analyzes the deal, observing that there are major risks, given Paul’s injury history and age, as well as Poole’s long-term upside.

Hornets Leaning Towards Scoot Henderson At No. 2?

June 22nd, 2023 at 11:19am CST by Rory Maher

Several recent reports have stated that the Hornets were favoring Alabama’s Brandon Miller at No. 2 overall in tonight’s draft, but G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson is building “serious momentum” with Charlotte for that selection, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania says the Hornets have been “torn” in the lead-up to the draft, with both players viewed as strong candidates. The organization has final meetings on Thursday to decide which prospect it will choose, Charania adds.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie recently placed Henderson at No. 2 in his latest mock draft, expressing skepticism that the Hornets were truly favoring Miller over Henderson.

President of basketball operations Mitch Kupchak said on Wednesday that the Hornets would be choosing between two players, and while he didn’t mention them by name, they’re widely expected to be Henderson and Miller. He also said they’d be taking the best player available approach, as David Newton of ESPN relays.

“I don’t think we’re at the stage where we’re good enough to focus on fit,” Kupchak said. “Next year, knock on wood, we’re healthy, we might be getting close where we could look a little bit more to fit.

“But right now, it’s about adding the best player that we could possibly add to the team. … We’re going to take the player that we feel is best for this organization going forward.”

Kupchak also said the team was open to trading the pick, though the offer would likely have to be overwhelming. As of yesterday, he anticipated keeping the valuable selection.

Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report is another talent evaluator who has been skeptical of the rumors that Miller was the leading candidate to go No. 2. He says many people seem to favor Henderson as the second-best prospect in the draft (Twitter links). According to Wasserman, league insiders haven’t been able to trace the source of Charlotte’s rumored preference for Miller, since the team is known for being pretty tight-lipped.

As Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports tweets, other lottery teams believe Henderson is still receiving strong consideration, buoyed by support from the Hornets’ new ownership group, which is led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall, who are buying Michael Jordan‘s majority stake. However, Kupchak said at his press conference Wednesday that Jordan would have final say on basketball decisions, per Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer.

“Michael has the final say,” Kupchak said. “During the last month or two I would talk to Michael in the morning two or three times a week. With the sale of the organization, one of the new owners was in a couple of days ago and is in today, and I expect them to weigh in, whether it’s in-person or not.

“There’s a lot of texts going back and forth, there’s a lot of questions, there’s a lot of catch-up for a new owner. This is not a simple process. There’s a lot of research, testing, intel, opinion that goes into the decision. The new owners are catching up as quick as they can. So the debate will continue today, it might continue (Thursday), which is good. It’s healthy. I welcome that.”

Draft Rumors: Miller, Henderson, Pistons, Howard, Jaquez

June 22nd, 2023 at 10:10am CST by Arthur Hill

Numerous insiders have stated that the Hornets are leaning heavily toward taking Brandon Miller with the No. 2 pick in tonight’s draft, but Miller indicated Wednesday that he hasn’t been promised anything, writes Adam Zagoria of NJ.com.

“Probably when I get drafted is when I’ll know where I’m going,” Miller said. He added that he’ll be equally happy heading to Charlotte with the second pick or Portland at No. 3.

In an updated mock draft released this morning, Sam Vecenie of The Athletic moved G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson up to No. 2 ahead of Miller. Vecenie has been skeptical of rumors that Charlotte is leaning toward Miller because he’s a better fit, and he continues to doubt leaks that the Hornets have decided on Miller after bringing both players in for a second workout on Monday.

Vecenie points out that general manager Mitch Kupchak said at a news conference Wednesday that team officials didn’t get a lot of new information from that second visit. Vecenie adds that incoming owners Gabe Plotkin and Rich Schnall will be involved in the draft decision, and they may view Henderson as the better prospect.

There’s more draft news to pass along:

The Pistons are listening to offers for the No. 5 pick, but their asking price is “prohibitively high,” Jonathan Givony states in ESPN’s updated mock draft (subscription required). He cites the Jazz, who hold the ninth and 16th picks, as a team that would like to move up if Detroit eases its demands. Givony adds that Pistons’ ownership may be reluctant to trade down, hoping to add an exciting prospect after such a difficult season. Givony lists Ausar Thompson as his choice for Detroit, noting that Cam Whitmore has likely fallen into the 6-9 range.
Michigan’s Jett Howard tells Sean Deveney of Heavy.com that he worked out this week for the Lakers, who hold pick No. 17. Deveney points out that the freshman guard already has a connection with L.A. general manager Rob Pelinka, who played with Jett’s father, Juwan Howard, for two seasons with the Wolverines. “Rob was there, talked to him a little bit,” Howard said of the 30-minute session with the Lakers. “I have known him so long, it was kind of an organic conversation. And yeah, if they pick me, I would be more than happy to play for them.”
The Lakers, Heat (18) and Warriors (19) may all have interest in UCLA’s Jaime Jaquez, Deveney adds in a separate story. Jaquez credits strong workouts with helping to raise his draft stock. “I think I did well in the workouts, I went out there and showed what I can do, and hopefully teams saw what I was capable of,” he said. “There were question marks going into those workouts, I went into those workouts trying to answer those questions. I think that is why I got this invite here.”
Jaquez is one of the final additions to the Green Room list issued by the NBA (Twitter link), along with Brandin Podziemski and Rayan Rupert.

Draft Rumors: Miller, Hornets, Blazers, Pacers, Magic, More

June 21st, 2023 at 8:44pm CST by Rory Maher

The Hornets appear to be leaning toward selecting Alabama’s Brandon Miller with the second overall pick in tomorrow night’s draft, according to reports from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link via ClutchPoints), Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link), Jeremy Woo of ESPN (Insider link) and Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

Wojnarowski, Givony, and Woo have all heard from sources who say Miller performed much better in his second workout on Monday in front of Hornets brass, including owner Michael Jordan. Wojnarowski goes so far as to say Miller “further solidified his standing as Charlotte’s choice at No. 2.”

For his part, Miller said in a SiriusXM NBA Radio interview (Twitter video link) that he didn’t feel intimidated by working out in front of Jordan, noting that he didn’t grow up watching the Hall of Famer. He also said he had a “fun time” exchanging verbal jabs with Jordan.

Here are more rumors on the draft, which is less than 24 hours away:

It would take a “significant return” for the Trail Blazers to part with the No. 3 pick in a draft that many view as having a consensus top-three prospects, but they’ll continue to listen to offers up until it’s time to make a selection, Wojnarowski said on ESPN’s NBA Today (YouTube link). “Certainly, they want to build around Damian Lillard, Wojnarowski said, per RealGM. “That’s been their focus. Damian Lillard says he wants to continue to be in Portland. So I think they’ll go right up to the clock on Thursday night. Offers and outreach from teams tend to get more serious the closer you get to the deadline…Portland may not have gotten the best offers that will come to them, but they will here in the next 24 hours or so. This is a significant decision for this organization, for Damian Lillard’s future in Portland.” If Miller gets picked No. 2, the Blazers would almost certainly select Scoot Henderson, Woj added.
Fischer confirms a recent report that the Spurs are inquiring about adding a second lottery pick and have been linked to French wing Bilal Coulibaly, who played with projected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama on Metropolitans 92. Interestingly, sources tell Woo that Coulibaly hasn’t unilaterally granted access to his medical details, indicating he may have a preferred destination in mind.
Cam Whitmore‘s stock may be falling due to medical concerns, sources tell Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report, who has Whitmore going No. 9 to the Jazz in his latest mock draft. Whitmore had been viewed as an option for the Rockets (No. 4) or Pistons (No. 5).
Although Ausar Thompson canceled a workout with the Pacers (No. 7) last week, he still had a meeting with team officials, he told Fischer. Indiana sent a “select group” of personnel to Atlanta to meet with Thompson over the weekend, Fischer writes.
Anthony Black‘s camp “initially showed resistance” to the idea of working out for Orlando due to the Magic‘s guard depth, sources tell Fischer. However, he wound up leaving a strong impression on the team and now thinks he could be picked No. 6 overall, he told Fischer. If the Magic do pick a guard, they’ve given rivals the impression they’d consider trading Cole Anthony, who has a “great relationship” with the front office, or Jalen Suggs. “They didn’t tell me that,” Black said, “but that’s what I figured they’d do if they picked me.”
The Lakers have been exploring all kinds of options with their first-round pick (No. 17), including possibly moving up a few slots, Fischer writes. Keyonte George could be a target — the guard has also been linked to the Raptors at No. 13, per Fischer.
According to Fischer, Jarace Walker believes he could go as high as No. 5 (Pistons), with a floor possibly being Indiana (No. 7); Taylor Hendricks believes he could go anywhere from No. 5 to No. 12 (Thunder); and Dereck Lively II has been told he could be picked anywhere from No. 10 (Dallas) to No. 20 (Houston).