NBA Draft: Brandon Miller does NOT expect to be charged with ‘delivering a gun to a fatal shooting’

NBA hopeful and former Alabama star Brandon Miller insists he won’t face charges in connection with a deadly Jan. 15 shooting near the Tuscaloosa campus, nor does he think the tragedy will affect his prospects in Thursday’s draft. Brooklyn.

The 20-year-old reigning SEC Player of the Year was linked to the shooting death of 23-year-old Jamea Harris earlier this year when police testified that Miller delivered a gun to teammate Darius Miles, which was eventually used by another man. Michael Lynn Davis, to kill the woman.

While Miles and Davis remain in jail awaiting trial for murder, Miller has not been arrested in the case. His lawyer says he never handled the firearm and had no idea any shots were fired. Miller’s coach, Nate Oats, said it was a case of “wrong place, wrong time.”

Speaking to reporters in Manhattan on Wednesday, the 20-year-old initially refused to talk about the shooting (“That’s one thing I can’t talk about here”), but went on to say he doesn’t expect to be charged.

If the draft order holds with no trades taking place, Miller is expected to be second overall by the Charlotte Hornets or third by the Portland Trail Blazers. And as for the shooting that affected his draft status, the six-foot striker said he still expects to be one of the first players to be taken Thursday night.

Jamea Harris (left), a 23-year-old mother, was shot dead on January 14 near the University of Alabama campus. Crimson Tide forward Darius Miles (right) is charged with murder

“NBA teams kind of based their background on me and they sort of figured out that I was a great guy, a great character,” Miller said. “I don’t think they’re really worried about the character part of it right now. I think it’s just basketball now.’

And as far as basketball goes, there’s not much to worry about when it comes to Miller.

Although he disappointed in the NCAA Tournament, scoring just nine points as top-seeded Alabama fell to San Diego State in the Sweet 16, Miller was arguably the best player in the nation in 2022-23.

Not only did he average an impressive 18.8 points per game to go with 8.2 rebounds per night and 85.9 percent shooting from the free throw line, but Miller also made 38.4 percent of his three-point attempts, which bodes well for his chances at the next level.

The shooting took place on a busy street lined with bars and restaurants in Tuscaloosa (pictured)

Where he will play is still unclear.

Both Charlotte and Portland have elite point guards, which could make Scoot Henderson – Miller’s main rival for second pick – redundant on either roster. That predicament has led to a number of trade rumors circulating around the second and third picks, when Miller is expected to be called up.

However, the Hornets still did their due diligence and invited Miller to a workout attended by none other than Michael Jordan, who was the majority owner at the time. The Chicago Bulls legend has since sold his majority stake to Gabe Plotkin, pending league approval.

‘No, I wasn’t actually [nervous]Miller said Wednesday. ‘I can see why [you would think so], because he’s Michael Jordan, but honestly, I kind of saw him in the room as a regular person in there, just watching me work out. But just knowing that he’s Michael Jordan, he’s not just an ordinary person, actually kind of motivated me.

‘He’s a great guy. He makes you feel at home, so he tries not to burden you.’

Miller recently worked for the Hornets and team minority owner Michael Jordan (pictured)

The best part: talking about garbage with Jordan.

“Meeting him talking nonsense is probably the coolest thing ever for me,” Miller said. “I have one against him: he airballed a free throw.”

Jordan also highlighted the work ethic when meeting Miller, who said it’s the same message he’s received from his parents since he was a young kid growing up in Tennessee.

Miller also said that he models his playing after Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, whom he considers better than LeBron James.