2023 NBA Draft intel: Will the Hornets take Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson at No. 2?

NEW YORK — The 2023 NBA Draft is hours away (8 p.m. ET Thursday, ABC/ESPN), and there will be a lot of intel and speculation as teams gear up for the big night. Victor Wembanyama is a lock to be the No. 1 pick heading to the San Antonio Spurs, but there is still speculation as to what the Charlotte Hornets will do at No. 2, picking between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller.

Here’s a breakdown of all the latest information heading into the draft.

(This page will be continually updated with the latest information and intel from around the league.)

Thursday update

Charlotte's decision at No. 2 between Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller being closely monitored

Michael Jordan and the Hornets have a tough decision at No. 2 between 6-foot-9 Alabama wing Brandon Miller or 6-2 G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson. Both Miller and Henderson worked out for a second time in Charlotte on Monday. The two players said the meetings and workouts went well.

"I wasn't that nervous working out for Michael Jordan," Miller told the media Wednesday. "I saw him sitting in the gym and I just treated him like a regular person. Obviously it's like, 'Whoa, that's Michael Jordan,' and it kind of motivated me. He makes you feel like you're at home and we had a great conversation."

Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball was also present at both of Miller's workouts and the two players spent some time getting to know one another off the court, as well.

"LaMelo is a great young guy," Miller said. "We spent some time together. The biggest thing he and I related to is cars. He has a nice car collection and hopefully one day he lets me drive that Rolls-Royce."

Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer reported Thursday that Charlotte is "strongly considering" selecting Henderson at No. 2.

Miller is a better fit alongside Ball and can bring some much-needed perimeter shooting and defensive versatility to a Hornets team that won only 27 games last year. Miller said he didn't get a promise of any kind on Monday and said he probably won't know where he or Henderson are going to go until 30 seconds before the Hornets are on the clock.

"I'm not really nervous, I'm excited," Miller said. "Wherever I end up, I'm ready to get to work and I feel comfortable coming in and contributing for both teams."

Henderson, for his part, also spoke highly of the Hornets and said he received positive feedback on Monday.

"My gut feeling is, take me," Henderson said Wednesday. "Just based off the player I am, based on what I'm going to bring every time I step on the floor. They appreciated me coming in and putting that work in. I'm just blessed to be here and maximize my talent at the highest level in the NBA and I'm going to do that wherever I land."

Wednesday evening update

Will the Jazz trade up from No. 9 for Anthony Black?

Black is one of the most-talked about names trending toward the top of the draft and could be off the board as high as No. 6 to the Orlando Magic. The Jazz have three first-round picks (Nos. 9, 16 and 28) and could be looking to package picks to trade up for Black, the 6-7 guard out of Arkansas. Black is arguably the fifth-best prospect in this draft class, outside of team need, in the way he sees the court, passes at a high level and plays elite defense on the perimeter.

Dereck Lively II draft range

Many believed Lively, the 7-2 center out of Duke would be off the board as high as No. 10 leading into draft week. With Cam Whitmore possibly falling, there's speculation the Mavericks will either take Whitmore at No. 10 or trade the pick.

Lively doesn't have a promise and told reporters Wednesday during his media availability, "My draft range is anywhere from 10 to 20, that's the feedback I've gotten from teams and people around me."

The late rise of Lively is mostly in part to how productive he was during his pro day with Klutch Sports and how consistently he's shooting the 3-ball during workouts. Prior to his one season at Duke, Lively was the No. 1 recruit coming out of high school and was a two-way threat offensively in the pick-and-pop playing alongside current Pistons forward Jalen Duren. Through minor injuries and Duke running the offense through Kyle Filipowski and Jeremy Roach, Lively disappeared and became a defensive specialist protecting the rim. The NBA game caters more to Lively and what he can do offensively as a 3-point threat.

Wednesday morning update

Movement in the lottery, Cam Whitmore reportedly falling outside the top 5

While a decision at No. 2 and what the Charlotte Hornets are going to do hasn't been made clear yet, the Detroit Pistons appear to be targeting a couple of other players outside of Whitmore, the 6-8 Villanova guard.

Overtime Elite guard Amen Thompson is the fourth-best prospect in this draft class and his twin brother, Ausar, could be off the board at No. 5 and plugged in the wing on the perimeter alongside Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey. A couple of other options are Arkansas guard Anthony Black, who has been high on a lot of teams' draft boards, or 6-8 forward Jarace Walker. Walker has one of the most NBA-ready bodies in this draft class and can be plugged in right away in the frontcourt alongside Jalen Duren as a stretch 4.

Whitmore could drop as far as No. 9 to the Utah Jazz or No. 10 to the Dallas Mavericks. At just 18 years old, he has plenty of time to grow into a productive guard at the NBA level.

There are a ton of playmaking guards projected toward the top of the lottery who still need to develop a consistent outside jump shot. With very few pure shooters projected toward the first half of the draft, there could be room for consistent outside shooters like Jordan Hawkins and Gradey Dick to rise up draft boards. Hawkins could go as high as No. 8 to the Washington Wizards with how well he shot the ball during his two seasons at UConn. Dick had a last-minute workout with the Indiana Pacers (No. 7) last week.

Bilal Coulibaly, Wembanyama's teammate for the Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92, has shot up draft boards and is at play for either the Wizards at No. 8 or the Jazz at No. 9, while many don't see the 6-7 guard with a 7-3 wingspan falling outside of the lottery.

Tuesday update

Portland most likely staying at No. 3 and keeping pick

Both Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson met with Michael Jordan and the Hornets on Monday, prompting many to believe a decision has not been made yet as to which player they will draft with the second pick Thursday night.

Portland was thought to be shopping its No. 3 pick and taking phone calls, but two days outside of the draft, sources around the NBA told Yahoo Sports they expect Portland to take either Miller or Henderson with the third pick instead of entertaining any trades for a more established, veteran player and/or trade back in the lottery.

Both Henderson and Miller had strong workouts with the Trail Blazers leading up to the draft, with Miller reportedly connecting on a high percentage of 3-point shots during drills.

Julian Phillips, Jaime Jaquez Jr. late first-round risers

Last year it was the Denver Nuggets who selected UCLA freshman Peyton Watson with the 30th pick after Watson's relatively quiet season, averaging just 3.3 points in 13 minutes per game. Established teams have flexibility toward the back end of the first round and can take a swing on a player who projects a lot of upside as an NBA wing.

Julian Phillips, a 6-8 wing, averaged only 8.3 points during his one season at Tennessee but has great length and defensive versatility at the wing position. He tested well during the NBA Draft Combine and has been solid in pre-draft workouts for teams. Throughout the college season, Phillips has been a projected mid-second-round pick, but two days before the draft, his draft range is thought to be anywhere from Nos. 25-35, and he could be a player fans hear called before the end of the first round.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. is one of the most reliable forwards in this draft class and was the tough, glue guy for a very successful UCLA squad for four years. When looking at what Caleb Martin did for the Miami Heat's run to the NBA Finals, teams might be searching for a similar player in this draft class, and Jaquez fits the mold. He has good size at 6-7, 230 pounds, has a high basketball IQ and plays the right way. He could go as high as No. 20 to the Houston Rockets and it's doubtful he'll fall past the Charlotte Hornets at No. 27.