Hornets NBA Draft tracker: What’s the latest with Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller?
If Brandon Miller turns out to be the player the Charlotte Hornets select No. 2 overall during the NBA Draft on Thursday night, the next conversation he has with Michael Jordan might be rather interesting.
Miller, the University of Alabama wing who’s on the Hornets’ radar along with Scoot Henderson, is in New York getting ready for the draft and met with the media on Wednesday. At one point, Miller was asked to chime in on the debate regarding the greatest player of all time and whether that was the Hornets’ soon-to-be minority owner or LeBron James.
Miller chose neither.
“No, because I don’t actually think LeBron is the G.O.A.T of basketball,” Miller said. “I think my G.O.A.T. of basketball is Paul George. I grew up watching him. So, it’s never just LeBron.”
Give Miller this: he’s not completely into recency bias. He was introduced to Jordan for the first time earlier this week, when Miller returned to Charlotte for a second individual workout. The Hornets put Miller through a variety of drills again, except there was an iconic figure in the room keeping tabs.
“It was definitely a cool moment just to meet Michael Jordan,” Miller said. “I think everybody here grew up watching him and all the other guys. But I think Michael Jordan was never my guy I grew up watching. My guy was Paul George, of course. Yeah, I modeled my game after him.
“But just meeting him and then talking trash to me was probably the coolest thing ever. He is one who definitely sounds like how he sounds on TV.”
Plus, Miller got a rather memorable moment with the 60-year-old Hall of Famer.
“I had one up on him,” Miller said. “He airballed a free throw. So, I have that up on him.”
Jordan also offered a little advice to the 20-year-old.
“Just work ethic,” Miller said. “If you are not going to work for anything, it’s not going to be given to you. I think that is kind of the thing I grew up listening to. My parents kind of put that over my head early.”
Miller is viewed as someone who can mesh easier with All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, giving him the edge to be selected ahead of Henderson. Hornets team president/GM Mitch Kupchak said Charlotte will focus on picking the best player, not the perceived better fit.
And although he’s being linked to the Hornets, Miller still isn’t sure where he will wind up.
“I’m about confidence,” Miller said, “but I think two or three, I’ll be great.”
What does a Scoot Henderson workout look like?
During the past few weeks, Henderson’s former G League Ignite teammates have lauded his work ethic and raved about his drive.
It’s one of the first things Sidy Cissoko and Mojave King mentioned following their respective visits with Hornets leading up to Thursday night’s NBA Draft. Henderson is apparently an early riser who enjoys getting to the gym before everybody else.
Jonathan Abrams of the New York Times shadowed Henderson recently and got an inside perspective on the 19-year-old’s pre-draft preparation, which included some key time with Steph Curry’s trainer, Brandon Payne.
In fact, Henderson told Dime he’s gained a lot of knowledge from Curry and Payne already.
“I know the right times where I should be trying to lift as much as possible, where I should try to max it out,” Henderson said. “Because I know Steph Curry, he’s probably the heaviest squatter on his team. So, I think this last summer coming into this season, that’s where me and my trainer started focusing on, damn near every muscle and trying to get every muscle right.”
Soon, Henderson will know if he’ll need any good recommendations from Curry and Payne — who are no strangers to Charlotte — about what to do and where to eat in the Queen City. After working out individually again for the Hornets on Monday, just as Miller did, now the waiting game truly begins until Charlotte officially makes the No. 2 pick.
Jordan witnessed second workouts
The final phase is complete.
Henderson and Miller conducted individual workouts in front of Hornets’ talent evaluators on Monday that included soon-to-be minority owner Michael Jordan, league sources told the Observer. The move was to ensure the Hornets checked off all the boxes, allowing their personnel department to have every piece of important information before coming to a consensus on whether Charlotte will select Henderson or Miller with the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday night’s NBA Draft.
It marked the second set of sessions Henderson and Miller, the G League Ignite standout, have had in the past nine days with the Hornets, and was also Miller’s third pre-draft workout in less than a week. He was in Portland on Friday, giving the Trail Blazers an opportunity to put the University of Alabama wing through various drills since Portland holds the No. 3 selection and appears to be targeting either Miller or Henderson depending on what the Hornets do.
While it’s not an unusual step to bring a player in for a second workout — the Hornets recently did it with Kai Jones and wound up drafting him — it shows the significance of the decision Charlotte has to make. Henderson was the presumed second best player in this year’s field of prospects until Miller turned in an impressive freshman campaign with the Crimson Tide, narrowing the perceived gap.
Each would fit differently on the roster as it’s currently constructed and the Hornets have to figure out how they could best build around LaMelo Ball and whomever they take off the board once San Antonio tabs Victor Wembanyama as the top overall pick. It’s something the Hornets have to get right, leading to Monday’s combination of drill work and a sit down with key team executives.
Miller can’t stop thinking about draft day
Miller racked up the miles this past week.
Three days after his private individual session with the Hornets, he was in Portland working out for the Trail Blazers on Friday. Portland holds the No. 3 selection in next week’s draft, one spot behind the Hornets, and likely will draft Miller or Henderson.
“It was good,” Miller told reporters in Portland once his session was complete. “I feel like we came out here and really had a lot of fun with the workout. Of course, always working hard every day, just trying to get better every day.”
The Trail Blazers’ selection all depends on who the Hornets grab when they are on the clock once San Antonio takes Wembanyama off the board. The Hornets like both players and reportedly are attempting to bring each in one more time to meet on Monday with Jordan, a session that would come days after the Hall of Famer agreed to sell a majority of his stake in the Hornets.
Upon initially completing his workout, Miller hadn’t yet heard about Jordan’s decision to simply retain a minority share in the franchise, and wasn’t sure how it could affect Charlotte’s choice at the draft.
“That’s actually new information to me,” Miller said. “I think after this I’ll probably go sit down with my agent, my brother, and my family, just to kind of have the conversation and think everything over.”
Miller didn’t participate in the on-court drills at the NBA Draft Combine last month and hadn’t worked out for any other team besides the Hornets prior to his session with Portland. So, the Trail Blazers got a much-needed evaluation of Miller as they try to finalize their draft board.
Miller admitted there were plenty of similarities between the drills he navigated in Portland and Charlotte.
“Definitely, just putting me through actions and reads,” Miller said. “I feel like I can read a defense really well. Like I’ve said, I don’t really take pride on offense, I take pride on the defensive side. So, it’s just (about) willing to get better every day and just (be) willing to perfect your craft.”
Rumors are swirling at the top of the draft about possible trades and there’s still uncertainty where Miller will land. It’s led to the 20-year-old pondering his future frequently.
“I do,” Miller said. “I think about it a lot actually because when you go to college you are kind of in control of where you go to school, but I think with the NBA you are not really in control. So, you are just kind of caught off guard and you are just seeing where you will be living at in a few weeks.
“That’s one thing I kind of think about every day.”
Another visit upcoming?
Could a second trip to Charlotte be in order for Henderson and Miller?
A little over a week after their private individual workouts in front of Hornets team executives, Charlotte is reportedly trying to bring Henderson and Miller in to meet with owner Michael Jordan on Monday. If successful, presumably it would be the franchise’s final determinant before settling on who it will select No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft on Thursday.
While it’s not unusual for the Hornets to bring a prospect back in for a second visit — they did it with Kai Jones in 2021 and wound up trading back into the first round to draft him — meeting with Jordan typically happens after the player is officially on board as a member of the franchise.
But things are obviously a bit different this year given the significance surrounding the pick and how it will shape the team’s direction over the next few years. Attempting to broker separate sit downs with Henderson and Miller also signals Jordan will remain in full control despite him reportedly selling in the franchise he purchased in 2010.
‘He’s got all the physical, God-given gifts’
Unfamiliar with Henderson until the G League Ignite got together for its training camp last year, Mojave King quickly learned a whole lot about his new teammate.
And King quickly became enamored with the Marietta, Georgia, native.
“I didn’t know him at all until I met him in the preseason, but that’s my guy,” King said Thursday after a pre-draft workout for the Hornets. “He’s such a great human being. Off the court, he’s so humble, he’s down to earth, his family is great. So, he’s a really good person.”
That’s not all.
“On the court, I think his game speaks for itself,” King said. “He’s a tremendous athlete, a super competitor and every time he’s on the floor, he just wants to win. So, he’s going to do everything he can to win. He’s a great player and a great person as well.”
Henderson’s teammates have also raved about his work ethic.
Sidy Cissoko also recently noted how no one typically beats Henderson into the gym for his early morning practice sessions. King praised Henderson’s ability to get it done behind the scenes, essentially leading by example.
“He was definitely one of the first ones on the floor every day and one of the last ones to leave,” King said. “He wasn’t always going 100 miles an hour. He wasn’t burning himself out. But he was really meticulous with everything he did. He made sure he was intentional with every rep, and I think that’s why he is in the position he is today.
“He’s got all the physical, God-given gifts. But he really maximizes it as well with the way he goes about his business.”
Henderson spent some time recently alongside Charlotte product Steph Curry, getting in some drill work with the Davidson grad. It’s just the latest step in his preparation as he readies himself for what’s ahead.
If Henderson winds up being selected among the top three picks in next Thursday’s NBA draft, it will be a huge boost for the Ignite. Henderson showed others a different path to reach the sport’s most prestigious level, forgoing his final year in high school and playing two seasons in the G League.
Some may try to travel that route.
“I think that definitely helps the program,” King said. “They’ve already proven that they can produce top-tiered talent in the draft and can go on to succeed in the NBA. I definitely think Scoot is the type of player that you don’t see come around too often, and I think a team will be really lucky to get him.
“And I think he will have a great representation of the program when he’s in the NBA.”
Seeing is believing
Not many know precisely how Henderson looks on the basketball court, given he spent the past two years in the G League with the Ignite.
Henderson didn’t participate in basketball activities at the NBA Draft Combine last month, and his private individual session with the Hornets on Sunday was only open to the team’s upper brass and talent evaluators. So, save for Henderson’s time in front of Portland executives nearly two weeks ago, there’s not a whole lot of good footage of the 19-year-old.
But a video of Henderson working up a serious lather surfaced on social media this week, no doubt a calculated move to ensure he remains in the conversation. Henderson displays an impressive repertoire during the 90-second video, throwing down dunks and swishing consecutive shots beyond the 3-point arc.
Decision day is nearing for Henderson, who seems to be a hot commodity. Several reports have emerged over the past few days suggesting teams are potentially trying to trade up to get Henderson.
And the video does little to quell any of the increasing fascination with Henderson’s tantalizing characteristics leading into what’s shaping up to be a very interesting draft.
Miller, Hornets meet again
Miller had his close up.
The University of Alabama wing was in town for his private Tuesday afternoon workout with the Hornets, per league sources, and his session likely gave the franchise’s talent evaluators a better idea of who they should go with at No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft next week. Miller, along with Henderson, is on the Hornets’ radar and there’s been little clarity over the past few weeks about which player they like best.
Miller is deemed by some national draft pundits as the most logical fit in Charlotte because he’s considered to be the top wing in the June 22 draft, and more than a few aren’t convinced Henderson can play alongside LaMelo Ball in the same backcourt since he’s primarily a ball-handler. But the Hornets still have plenty of roster decisions to make and could suddenly be overcrowded at wing if they were to select Miller on top of re-signing restricted free agent Miles Bridges.
So, getting an in-person evaluation of Miller is extremely important for the Hornets, who met with the 20-year-old at the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month. Their inside look at the 20-year-old took place barely 48 hours after Charlotte worked out Henderson. Miller was impressive in his lone NCAA season, posting 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game en route to earning first team All-America honors from The Associated Press and becoming the first player to collect the Southeastern Conference player of the year, freshman of the year and conference tournament most valuable player awards in the same season.
In an interview not long after the combine, Miller indicated part of the next step in his development involves becoming more of a floor general who has no problem giving his teammates instructions. Good or bad.
“I think I started being a vocal leader this past year in my college career,” Miller told Stadium. “I think I’ve always lived with my actions. In high school, I didn’t really talk to anybody in high school. Ever since I got to Bama, I kind of got close with the team and the coaches, and just played into that.”
The mentality helped Miller excel with the Crimson Tide. And he’s hoping to stand on the lessons and experience he gained at Alabama when he lands on the NBA in a few weeks.
“One thing I learned is just to compete at a high level with your teammates,” Miller said. “I think that’s the funnest thing you can do with any team. Just compete at a high level, try and get better. Just show what you’re made of.”
Scoot completes Hornets’ workout
Put a huge checkmark next one of the biggest tasks on the Hornets’ pre-draft to-do list.
Henderson had his private workout at the Novant Health Training Center in front of Charlotte’s brass on Sunday, per league sources, giving the Hornets a good look at the 19-year-old who entered May widely labeled as the best player in this year’s NBA Draft not named Victor Wembanyama.
Henderson didn’t participate in any of the on-court activities at the combine in Chicago last month, so outside of a few in-person spottings during his games with the G League Ignite, the workout represented the Hornets’ best opportunity to truly evaluate Henderson and gauge whether he’s the player they should select No. 2 overall on June 22. He’s dropped to third on many projected mock drafts behind Miller, creating even more intrigue with how things will unfold.
Miller is scheduled to privately work out with the Hornets on Tuesday, according to sources, continuing Charlotte’s flurry of sessions with some of the top prospects as the draft inches closer.
‘He always wants to be the first one at the gym’
Ask Sidy Cissoko about Henderson and he immediately starts smiling, recalling the good times the two had together with the rest of their G League Ignite teammates over the last two years.
Henderson could be selected as high as No. 2 overall by the Hornets in the NBA Draft later this month, a direct result of the progress he’s made while chasing his dream. Cissoko chuckled as he described Henderson’s supreme dedication, recalling an instance that gives insight into the 19-year-old’s drive.
“He deserves it,” Cissoko said following Saturday’s workout with the Hornets, “because he was always the first one in the gym. I tried to go with him like one day at 7, but he didn’t like it. So, the next day he was there at 6:30. He always wants to be the first one at the gym. He is still working and I know he’s going to do great in the league, so I’m not worried about him.”
Henderson is expected to have his individual session with the Hornets on Sunday, according to league sources, and there’s little doubt Charlotte’s talent evaluators are eager to get a good look at the 6-foot-2 prospect. Cissoko thinks there are plenty of admirable qualities within Henderson, and it’s not just strictly about his presence on the hardwood.
“In basketball, I would say his first step,” Cissoko said. “He’s focused like crazy because you can trash talk to him and nobody can get in his mind. And also he has a good family, has five or six brothers and they do everything together. They’re a big family.
“When we were playing in Toronto, the mom, sister were coming to our games. They help us to give our best and push me to the next level I feel, too. It’s good. Me, I have my friends and family overseas and it’s good to have a family like this, too, on the side. So, shout out to them, the Henderson family, really.”
That’s why Cissoko can’t help to ponder the excitement that could engulf him if the two were paired. Cissoko, a 6-foot-7, 223-pound combo guard from Saint-Maurice, France, is viewed as a possible late first-round pick. The Hornets also own the 27th selection on top of boasting three second-rounders.
So, if there’s a team that has the draft capital to get them back together, it’s the Hornets.
“Yeah, definitely it would be great to reunite again,” Cissoko said. “I called it. When I saw the picks, I said to Mojave (King), Leonard (Miller) and Scoot, I said, ‘Yeah for sure one of us is going to be playing with Scoot or something for sure.’
“No, we always stay together. We always talk. We have a good chat. I miss them for sure and I hope someone is going to draft me and him, yeah.”
Henderson striving for ‘greatness’
Don’t talk about it, be about it is a phrase many athletes adopt, figuring proving their worth with actions is the best route to take.
Go ahead and count Henderson among that contingent.
In a first-person essay for The Players’ Tribune, Henderson explained why complacency isn’t an option as he prepares to leave his mark in the NBA once he’s drafted on June 22.
“I want to go beyond what it takes to be in the league,” Henderson wrote. “I’m not just looking for a roster spot — I’m searching for greatness.”
Henderson pointed directly to his father as the person responsible for his career path, work ethic and mentality. Chris Henderson, who works as a basketball trainer, was his son’s first coach and the prospect mentioned how his father instilled discipline in him and made him dig deep to chase his dreams of playing at the highest level.
That drive still burns deeply and motivates Henderson to push forward.
“I want this,” Henderson wrote. “I don’t ever want somebody to think they’re better than me. All of my idols have a killer mentality. Kobe, Westbrook, Curry. … I’ve always admired players with a drive that takes them beyond what the average person is willing to do to succeed. I think you have to be kind of crazy, if I’m being honest. All the greats are.
“And my dad wanted me to know that.”
Miller’s improvement impresses former teammate
It didn’t take long for Noah Gurley to be endeared by some of Miller’s best qualities.
During their time together this past year at Alabama, Gurley was struck by one particular characteristic he believes aided Miller’s rise through the collegiate ranks and up the big board for most teams leading into the NBA Draft later this month.
“His humility,” Gurley said Thursday following a pre-draft workout with the Charlotte Hornets. “Even though he was that good, he still came to work every day. He still acted like he was one of us even though he was a lottery pick. But he’s a humble guy, a good guy, One of my best friends off the court.”
At the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago last month, Miller showed a lighter side and had a good time pretending to interview fellow prospect Kris Murray. And that’s something Gurley believes people should be aware of with Miller, who’ll be in Charlotte for a workout with the Hornets on Tuesday, league sources told The Observer.
“He’s funny,” Gurley said. “He’s a funny guy. I think they would know. I think they would know that by his signature celebration when he puts his arms over his head. He just likes to have fun.”
Miller averaged 18.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in his lone season in Alabama, garnering first team All-America honors from the Associated Press. He took the Southeastern Conference by storm, becoming the first player to nab the SEC player of the year, freshman of the year and conference tournament most valuable player awards in the same season.
Gurley watched Miller progress from the moment he arrived on campus in Tuscaloosa to now.
“He improved a lot, mainly on defense,” Gurley said. “He was always athletic, but just played defense all the time. He put on a lot of weight when he got there, lifting and adjusting to the physicality. The SEC is a physical league, so by the time we got to SEC play he was already adjusted to college basketball. So, that was good to see.”
Durability is also apparently a strength of Miller’s. He tied for the team lead in games played with 36. That, Gurley noted, is no easy feat.
As the main focal point for the Crimson Tide, Miller took a pounding by opposing defenses. And he didn’t miss a beat.
“It’s very tough,” Gurley said. “But he’s special and he wants it. He wasn’t tripping at all about that. He would play every minute of the game if he could. So, he’s just got that dog.”
For Henderson, it’s already lights, camera, action!
Henderson is about to have a memorable month.
Not only is the G League Ignite product expected to be selected among the top three picks in the NBA Draft on June 22, possibly landing in Charlotte with the Hornets, he’s already showing people he can do more than just play basketball. He’s pretty good at other things, too.
Henderson has a key role in “Shooting Stars,” a movie that looks at the life of a young LeBron James. He portrays Romeo Travis, a friend of James who played overseas. The film was released on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, on June 2, and serves as another introduction to the masses after Henderson spent two years honing his game with the Ignite.
“I’m feeling amazing right now,” Henderson told PEOPLE during the movie’s premiere in Los Angeles. “I’m making sure my mind’s sharp and enjoying the moment. Yeah, I’m just enjoying the moment.”
Since Henderson bypassed college and didn’t have any true national exposure beyond a few opportunities over the past two seasons, not many know a whole lot about the 19-year-old guard. His scouting report off the court apparently mirrors his focus on it.
“Scoot Henderson is a loving person with a crazy work ethic,” he said. “I do things with the motivation of my family and my city behind my back, and I want to be perceived as a confident young man who’s overly determined to dominate.”
And that doesn’t just go for the NBA. He has grandiose plans.
“I’m determined to dominate the world,” Henderson said.
Silver fine with possible debuts in Sacramento
With the California Classic Summer League tipping off with the Charlotte Hornets’ matchup against San Antonio on July 3, there’s a good chance the debuts of the two top overall selections in the draft later this month will take place in Sacramento instead of in the Las Vegas Summer League.
So, either Henderson or Miller could be on the court at Golden 1 Center going up against likely No. 1 pick Wembanyama. And although most of the top overall selections typically begin playing in Las Vegas, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told The Associated Press he’s perfectly fine with the opening curtain potentially rising in Sacramento rather than in the desert.
“All summer leagues are NBA summer leagues,” Silver said. “I’m very supportive of the Sacramento summer league. I remember when (Kings owner Vivek Ranadive) first came to the league and said this was something he wanted to do. I said, ‘As long as you have enough other teams who support it and players who want to play in it, it’s a good thing.’ ”
Action in the Las Vegas Summer League is scheduled to begin on July 7. The Hornets will also participate in that event, giving their young, new arrivals plenty of time to get acclimated to the different style of play and learn a few of the team’s main philosophies under coach Steve Clifford.
This is the first time the Hornets are competing on both and they, along with San Antonio, should get plenty of exposure.
“What’s made the summer leagues so valuable are really the media rights more than the individuals who buy tickets there, because it’s a very affordable experience,” Silver said. “So, the answer is, I want Victor to get playing court experience and I think the team — assuming it’s San Antonio — should make decisions completely independent of any commercial implications from where he debuts.”
The direction the Hornets decide to go at No. 2 in the draft will go a long way in determining the franchise’s direction over the next few years. The team also has four more picks — Nos. 27, 34, 39 and 41 — but No. 2 is the headliner. Stay tuned for additional information about Henderson and Miller that will be tracked right here.
This story was originally published June 5, 2023 at 6:30 AM.
