NBA Draft Rumors: Hornets bring in Scoot Henderson, Brandon Miller for second workout
While we know that Victor Wembanyama will be the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, selected by the San Antonio Spurs, what the Charlotte Hornets plan to do with the second pick is still up in the air. And while a trade has been rumored as a possibility, it will likely come down to Brandon Miller out of Alabama or G-League Ignite standout Scoot Henderson as the pick.
But who do the Hornets prefer? They might not even know.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported that the Hornets brought in both Miller and Henderson for a second draft workout and interview. As mentioned, Charlotte has also been entertaining trade offers for the second overall pick, with the Pelicans, among other teams, being involved.
Another factor in this mix is the fact is that Michael Jordan has sold the team and this will be his last draft with the organization as a majority owner. He still will have a small stake in the team but it will be mostly owned by an ownership group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall. As reported by ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Miller is the favorite to be selected as of this current moment.
Even still, it appears that the Hornets brass — be it the old guard or new guard — is at least having some doubt about the decision given that both players are coming back for another workout.
After Wembanyama, the Hornets have a real chance to start the chaos in the NBA Draft.
NBA Draft Rumors: Trail Blazers exhausting all options for Damian Lillard trade
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Portlant Trail Blazers are looking to exhaust all options before trading Damian Lillard this offseason. They have certainly committed to the all-NBA player so far in his career. But the best way they can exhaust their options involves the team's desire to package the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft with Anfernee Simons.
Ultimately, though, how things proceed with that package and if it is able to land Portland valuable assets that they can build around Lillard with will ultimately determine the future of the guard with the Trail Blazers. If they didn't find the right deal and were to trade Lillard, they could end up with a franchise player like Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson with the third overall pick.
On the other hand, the Blazers have a really good chance to add good talent to the roster. One option that the Trail Blazers could potentially get with the third pick would be Pascal Siakam. The Raptors are stuck between rebuilding and retooling, but moving on from Siakam while bringing in Miller or Henderson could be too enticing for the team to pass up.
There should be other interested suitors for the No. 3 pick given the strength of the prospects at the top of the draft. Having said that, the ripple effects of that selection and what becomes of it tie heavily into what's next for Damian Lillard and his future in Portland.
NBA Draft Rumors: Pacers looking to trade 7th pick for high-level wing, O.G. Anunoby involved
As many other teams are trying to do this offseason, the Indiana Pacers are in the market for a wing. They've been connected to Raptors 3-and-D stalwart O.G. Anunoby, should he be made available. But the Pacers have an arsenal to make it happen, including the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft which, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, they'd be willing to deal.
Indiana is in an advantageous position of owning three first-round picks in this year's draft, which could give them ammo for Anunoby or another wing that fits the mold they want to build in for the future.
Whether Anunoby or someone else, though, Indiana has been reportedly aggressive in shopping the No. 7 pick. This was made even more apparent with projected Top 10 pick Ausar Thompson canceling a scheduled workout with the Pacers, seemingly an indication given the other reports of a possible trade of the pick that Indiana won't be making the selection at No. 7.
In addition to Anunoby, the Pacers have also been linked to Trail Blazers wing Matisse Thybulle and, again with the Raptors, Pascal Siakam.
The Pacers finished just outside of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament this past season and are clearly looking to upgrade their starting rotation around Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton and Bennedict Mathurin. Adding any of these players with the help of trading the No. 7 pick would go a long way to accomplishing that.
