Grayson Weir
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Victor Wembanyama is going to be drafted first overall in the NBA Draft, and Brandon Miller is expected to go right after the French superstar. However, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony, there is more to the equation.
Miller must first answer questions that he has not answered to this point. They revolve around his involvement in the death of Jamea Harris.
As the best player in college basketball last season, Miller stands 6-foot-9, 200 pounds. His versatility puts him somewhere between a guard and a forward, and his game fits perfectly with the modern, position-less style of today’s NBA.
However, there is a larger issue looming that has nothing to do with basketball.
Miller’s name is attached to the death of a woman on The Strip in Tuscaloosa in February. He has not been charged and was only questioned as a witness in the preliminary hearing, but his name is attached. Police also testified that Miller brought a gun to the scene.
Another Crimson Tide player, Darius Miles, and his friend Michael Davis were indicted on capital murder charges. The former was recently denied bail.
There is still a long way to go in the murder case, with a lot of details that remain murky. With that said, there are a lot of questions surrounding Miller’s involvement in that fatal night.
Brandon Miller has not answered questions to this point.
According to Givony, Miller spoke with 12 teams at the NBA Draft Combine. He arrived holding a legal brief that was written by his attorneys.
(Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
The brief told teams that “he would not be able to comment on specific details regarding his involvement in the lead-up to the fatal shooting of Jamea Jonae Harris,” per Givony.
Brandon Miller will have to answer questions.
Legal concerns aside, Charlotte drafting Miller is a no-brainer. The fit is perfect in terms of basketball.
But where is the Harris case headed? Will Miller be implicated beyond his current standing?
Givony says that Miller is the front-runner, by a large margin, if — and only if — he can “do enough to alleviate off-court concerns.” He will speak with the team on June 10. The draft will be held on June 22.
Should Miller go No. 2 overall, it means that the Hornets felt comfortable enough to move forward. Should Miller fall past No. 2, there might be a larger issue at hand.
