Report: Charlotte Hornets still 'lean' Brandon Miller, but Scoot Henderson 'positioning himself' for No. 2 pick in NBA Draft

It’s no secret that Victor Wembanyama will be the No. 1 overall pick in next week’s NBA Draft. But all eyes are on the No. 2 selection as the Charlotte Hornets decide between two players — Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson.

Early on, it looked as if Charlotte would select Miller. But Henderson is apparently making a case for the pick. Both players came in for workouts this week, ESPN’s Jonathan Givony said on NBA Today on Thursday. The decision is getting even more intriguing with just a week to go until the draft.

Although Miller appears to be the favorite, Henderson isn’t making it an easy call.

“I’m told — I would say it leans Brandon Miller at this stage, Scoot Henderson very much in the conversation at No. 2,” Givony said.

Either direction the Hornets go, they’ll bolster their roster. If they choose Miller, the 6-foot-7 small forward and National Freshman of the Year, they’d be adding a player who’s proven he can shoot the three and make big plays on defense. If they choose Henderson, they’d create one of the more exciting young backcourts in the NBA by putting him alongside LaMelo Ball. Of course, the key to that happening is Ball staying healthy.

But there were some differences between Miller and Henderson when they met with Charlotte. Henderson worked out first, Givony said, and impressed. Miller, meanwhile, didn’t have as strong of a showing. That could be because he’s still coming off a bout with mononucleosis, which impacted his condition. As a result, Henderson had an edge from that standpoint.

As a result, things could be shifting.

“On the night of the lottery, I would’ve told you Brandon Miller is the clear favorite to be the No. 2 pick in the draft based on what the front office had seen from his games and from the video,” Givony told host Malika Andrews. “They were very, very high on Brandon Miller. Scoot Henderson has done a very good job of positioning himself to make that more of a conversation in the Charlotte front office with the workout he had. He came in in phenomenal shape, he brought excellent intensity, his shot-making ability was evident, the explosiveness.

“His interview was very good. Brandon Miller followed him. Was in there yesterday in Charlotte. Not a terrible workout, but not quite to the level of Scoot Henderson. He isn’t in the same shape as Scoot Henderson. Brandon Miller is coming off an illness. He had mononucleosis in April. So he hasn’t been training at the same level of Scoot Henderson.”

The 2023 NBA Draft is coming up June 22. Whether Miller or Henderson goes at No. 2, the other will likely go at No. 3 to the Portland Trail Blazers. That’s assuming they keep that pick, though. Early reports suggested they might move out of that spot to build around Damian Lillard.