The Charlotte Hornets are expecting to conduct a second-round of workouts and interviews with Alabama‘s Brandon Miller and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson on Monday — with an audience that will include outgoing owner Michael Jordan, sources told ESPN on Sunday.
Miller and Henderson — auditioning for the No. 2 overall pick in Thursday’s NBA draft — are offering Jordan his first in-person assessment of the two prospects vying to follow the San Antonio Spurs‘ selection of Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick. Miller remains the front-runner to go No. 2, but Henderson had a strong workout and meeting with Hornets officials last week, sources told ESPN.
Jordan finalized the sale of his majority stake in the Hornets to a group led by Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall on Friday, but arguably the greatest player in history will remain with a minority stake and a presence around the franchise. Jordan remains the team’s governor and final decision-maker until the new group is vetted and approved by the league’s board of governors, which isn’t expected for several weeks.
Both players and their camps have expressed enthusiasm about going No. 2 to the Hornets, partly because of the proximity to their homes in the South and also because of the anticipation of a new ownership group that is expected to invest in the team’s future, sources said.
Miller, a 6-foot-9 forward, was the SEC Player and Rookie of the Year. Henderson averaged 17.6 points and 6.6 assists for the G League Ignite team.