2023 NBA mock draft: Will Brandon Miller or Scoot Henderson go No. 2?

• June 20, 2023

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson have made their cases to be the No. 2 pick in the NBA draft.

With Victor Wembanyama long expected to be chosen first by the San Antonio Spurs, the first bit of uncertainty Thursday could arrive once the Charlotte Hornets are on the clock.

The Hornets have taken a look at both players. Henderson worked out for Charlotte last Sunday and Miller visited two days later, according to a person with knowledge of the details. The person spoke with the AP on condition of anonymity because neither workout was publicly announced, and neither player spoke to reporters.

Charlotte went 27-55 last season as one of the lowest-scoring teams in the NBA. The Hornets got only 36 games from star point guard LaMelo Ball because of injuries, but return of the former Chino Hills High standout could make them more interested in Miller, a versatile forward, rather than another guard in Henderson.

That’s the way the AP continues to lean, keeping Miller at No. 2 in the third version of its 2023 mock draft.

1. SAN ANTONIO SPURS: VICTOR WEMBANYAMA, FORWARD, FRANCE

His combination of a center’s size and a guard’s shooting and dribbling make the 19-year-old a prospect perhaps unlike any other the NBA has seen, and should end the 13-year streak of the No. 1 pick being a college freshman. The Spurs won five NBA titles after taking Tim Duncan in 1997, the last time they had the No. 1 pick and their fan base is already dreaming of a similar impact from Wembanyama.

2. CHARLOTTE HORNETS: BRANDON MILLER, FORWARD, ALABAMA

At 6-foot-9, the SEC Player of the Year and tournament MVP as a freshman has the size, versatility and 3-point stroke to make him an ideal player for the modern NBA game. But the Hornets, who played without Miles Bridges last season after an arrest for a domestic violence incident against the mother of his children, might have to weigh a negative reaction if they add Miller, who delivered the gun used in a fatal shooting.

3. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS: SCOOT HENDERSON, GUARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE

Henderson worked out for the Trail Blazers and showed the athleticism and ability to do it all from the guard spot that might have made Henderson the No. 1 pick in many years. This time, he could be part of a trade if the Blazers decide they’d prefer to acquire more veteran help around Damian Lillard – or perhaps Lillard’s replacement if they instead decide to build around youth.

4. HOUSTON ROCKETS: AMEN THOMPSON, GUARD, OVERTIME ELITE

At 6-7, Thompson has great size for a guard and the 20-year-old showed the ability to step up when it matters most, averaging 17.2 points, 9.2 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the playoffs to lead the City Reapers to the championship last season. The Rockets, after adding Jalen Green and Jabari Smith Jr. in the last two drafts, are positioned to get another good one.

5. DETROIT PISTONS: CAM WHITMORE, FORWARD, VILLANOVA

The Pistons fell to the lowest spot possible in the lottery after finishing with the NBA’s worst record and sharing the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick. But getting Whitmore, a versatile wing with a strong build, to add to young pieces such as Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey under new coach Monty Williams would help ease the sting.

6. ORLANDO MAGIC: AUSAR THOMPSON, FORWARD, OVERTIME ELITE

Amen Thompson’s twin brother has been the Overtime Elite regular season and finals MVP the last two seasons and the 6-7 swingman plays big on defense, twice blocking seven shots in a game. The Magic were a team on the rise in the second half of last season and Thompson could help ensure that continues.

7. INDIANA PACERS: JARACE WALKER, FORWARD, HOUSTON

Coming from Houston’s rugged program means Walker already plays NBA-ready defense, and the offensive end could come along quickly under Coach Rick Carlisle. At 6-8 and 240 pounds, he already has the size and strength to deal with anyone he could face in the frontcourt.

8. WASHINGTON WIZARDS: ANTHONY BLACK, GUARD, ARKANSAS

The 6-7 guard seems to have endless energy, playing nearly 35 minutes per game to lead the SEC and all 20 minutes in a half 19 times. That included 37 minutes on an injured left ankle in the Razorbacks’ NCAA Tournament upset of top-seeded Kansas, when he helped hold expected lottery pick Gradey Dick to seven points.

9. UTAH JAZZ: TAYLOR HENDRICKS, CENTRAL FLORIDA

The 6-9 freshman makes an impact inside and outside on both ends of the floor. He led the American Athletic Conference in blocked shots and shot 39% from 3-point range, becoming the only Division I player last season with at least 60 3-pointers, 55 blocked shots and 35 dunks.

10. DALLAS MAVERICKS: GRADEY DICK, GUARD, KANSAS

Dick made 83 3-pointers, the most in Kansas history by a freshman, and the 6-8 forward could get plenty of open looks when Mavericks opponents focus their attention on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving – if Irving remains in Dallas. The Mavs went to great lengths to protect their chances of keeping this pick, tanking their final couple of games to boost their lottery odds while still in play-in contention.

11. ORLANDO MAGIC (from Chicago Bulls): BILAL COULIBALY, FORWARD, FRANCE

Wembanyama’s teammate with Metropolitans 92 is a 6-6 swingman whose stock has risen as their team reached their French League finals. He hasn’t reached his potential yet as a scorer, but his 7-3 wingspan allows him to impact the game on both ends even without doing so and could make him a good fit with 2022 No. 1 pick and Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.

12. OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER: DERECK LIVELY II, CENTER, DUKE

Is still limited offensively, but the 7-1 Lively shows promise as a rebounder and shot blocker, highlighted by 14 boards and eight blocks in a game against rival North Carolina.

13. TORONTO RAPTORS: JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO, GUARD, INDIANA

The Big Ten Freshman of the Year has great size in the backcourt at 6-6 and could help the Raptors guard against a potential loss of Fred VanVleet in free agency, but needs to become a better shooter after hitting only 40% from the field in his lone college season.

14. NEW ORLEANS PELICANS: KEYONTE GEORGE, GUARD, BAYLOR

The highest-ranked recruit in program history lived up to the billing in his lone college season, scoring 20 or more points 12 times and averaging 15.3 en route to Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. The 6-4 guard could provide scoring punch on a team that just missed the postseason.

15. ATLANTA HAWKS: KOBE BUFKIN, GUARD, MICHIGAN

Bufkin made a massive leap during his second season with the Wolverines, averaging 14 points as a sophomore after not starting a game while averaging 3.0 points as a freshman. His next leap is to the NBA, where the 6-4 lefty could quickly be a change-of-pace guard off the bench.

16. UTAH JAZZ (from Minnesota): CASON WALLACE, KENTUCKY

A point guard who takes care of the ball and takes it away from opponents, Wallace was fourth in the SEC in both steals per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. At 6-4, he has the size and strength to defend some of the marquee guards in the Western Conference.

17. LAKERS: NICK SMITH JR., GUARD, ARKANSAS

After mixed results with Russell Westbrook and D’Angelo Russell last season, the Lakers’ search for guard help could lead to Arkansas, where the 6-5 Smith played in just 17 games in his lone college season after recovering from a right knee injury but showed the ability to play either guard spot.

18. MIAMI HEAT: JORDAN HAWKINS, GUARD, UCONN

Hawkins’ ball handling still needs improvement, but his catch-and-shoot ability was one of the biggest reasons the Huskies stormed through the NCAA Tournament to their fifth national title. That’s something the Heat were missing during their five-game NBA Finals loss to the Denver Nuggets.

19. GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS: KRIS MURRAY, FORWARD, IOWA

After averaging 20.2 points – with a 30-point, 20-rebound game in one outing – Murray will try to make a similar first-year NBA impact as twin brother Keegan, who after leaving the Hawkeyes became an immediate starter for Sacramento last season and was an All-Rookie first-team selection.

20. HOUSTON ROCKETS (from the Clippers): MAXWELL LEWIS, FORWARD, PEPPERDINE

The 6-7 Lewis made nearly 80% of his free throws and 36% of his 3-point attempts in his two seasons with the Waves, and he improved his ability to score off the dribble while averaging 17.1 points last season.

21. BROOKLYN NETS (from Phoenix): JETT HOWARD, GUARD, MICHIGAN

His willingness to fire from behind the arc makes the freshman a perfect fit for the 3-point-happy NBA. The 6-8 freshman made multiple 3-pointers in 24 of his 29 games for Juwan Howard, his father, and hit three or more in almost half of them. Howard made 36.8% of his attempte while averaging 14.2 points

22. BROOKLYN NETS: LEONARD MILLER, FORWARD, G LEAGUE IGNITE

The Nets have needed more scoring punch since trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Miller looks capable of providing it after averaging 18 points last season. The 6-10 Canadian also averaged nearly 11 rebounds, another area Nets leadership has identified as a priority.

23. PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (from New York): NOAH CLOWNEY, FORWARD, ALABAMA

Clowney put up nearly eight rebounds and one blocked shot per game in his lone college season. With just 210 pounds on his 6-10 frame, he will need to add strength for the battles inside against NBA big men.

24. SACRAMENTO KINGS: BRICE SENSABAUGH, FORWARD, OHIO STATE

Sensabaugh averaged 16.3 points and shot better than 40% from 3-point range during one strong season with the Buckeyes, when he was the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since D’Angelo Russell in 2015.

25. MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES: G.G. JACKSON, FORWARD, SOUTH CAROLINA

Would have been heading to college now – perhaps as the No. 1 prospect – before reclassifying last summer to enter a year earlier. Instead, the 6-9 Jackson is on his way to the NBA after scoring in double figures in 25 of his 32 games, averaging 15.4 points.

26. INDIANA PACERS (from Cleveland): JAIME JAQUEZ JR., GUARD, UCLA

The do-everything swingman led the Bruins with 17.8 points and 8.2 rebounds, becoming their first Pac-12 Player of the Year since Kevin Love in 2008. At 6-7, Jaquez does everything well – he’s No. 8 in UCLA history in both points and steals – but maybe not any of them at the top NBA level.

27. CHARLOTTE HORNETS (from Denver via New York and OKC): AMARI BAILEY, GUARD, UCLA

Bailey had a strong finish to his lone college season, averaging 16.7 points on 56% shooting during the Bruins’ run to the Sweet 16. The Hornets struggle when LaMelo Ball is out, so the 6-5 guard could be appealing to a team that was fourth-worst in the NBA in scoring.

28. UTAH JAZZ (from Philadelphia via Brooklyn): COLBY JONES, GUARD, XAVIER

With three picks in the first round, the Jazz are positioned to bolster a team that hung around the playoff race much longer than expected. The 6-6 Jones, who made 18 of 21 shots in one torrid stretch last season and shot 9 for 10 on 3-point attempts in another, could be a nice late addition.

29. INDIANA PACERS (from Boston): TRAYCE JACKSON-DAVIS, FORWARD, INDIANA

Jackson-Davis had more than 2,200 points and 1,100 rebounds in one of the most decorated careers in Hoosiers history. But in the one-and-done era, the 23-year-old All-American’s age might work against the son of former Pacers forward Dale Davis.

30. CLIPPERS (from Milwaukee via Houston): DARIQ WHITEHEAD, FORWARD, DUKE

Whitehead arrived at Duke as the Naismith High School Player of the Year, but a foot injury led to a delayed start to his college career followed by shooting struggles after it finally began. But the 6-7 forward showed enough defensive and 3-point abilities in his limited time to make himself worthy of a first-round spot.

AP Basketball Writers Aaron Beard, John Marshall and Tim Reynolds, and AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina contributed to this report.

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2023 NBA Draft: Alabama’s Brandon Miller tops talented group of forwards

• June 20, 2023

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

Brandon Miller rapidly became an elite NBA draft prospect in his lone season at Alabama.

He headlines The Associated Press’ list of forwards and could go as high as second overall behind presumptive No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. There are other one-and-done prospects such as Villanova’s Cam Whitmore, Houston’s Jarace Walker and Central Florida’s Taylor Hendricks as potential top-10 picks.

Here’s a look at the top forwards in the draft:

BRANDON MILLER, Alabama

STRENGTHS: Miller, 20, went from McDonald’s All-American to AP first-team All-American. The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 18.8 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 38.4% from 3-point range and 85.9% from the foul line. He also showed the ability to play off the dribble or attack the rim, along with quality play on the defensive end behind the length to chase multiple positions. It adds up to a mix of shooting, athleticism and size that is well-suited for today’s NBA game, which demands versatility on the wing.

CONCERNS: He needs bulk on a 200-pound frame to handle bumps and physical play at both ends. He faded late after dealing with a groin injury, including averaging 9.3 points on 8-for-41 shooting (19.5%) and going 3 for 19 from 3-point range in three NCAA Tournament games as the Crimson Tide fell in the Sweet 16 despite being the top overall seed.

There’s also his ties to a significant off-court issue: A murder case that led to former Tide player Darius Miles and another man being indicted on capital murder charges. A police investigator testified in February that Miles texted Miller to bring him his gun that night. Miller hasn’t been charged with wrongdoing and continued to play, though the ongoing case brought intense scrutiny through the second half of the season on Miller and the Alabama program.

CAM WHITMORE, Villanova

STRENGTHS: The McDonald’s All-American got a late start to the season due to thumb surgery, but became the Big East Freshman of the Year. Whitmore, who turns 19 in July, has an NBA-ready frame (roughly 6-6 without shoes, 235 pounds) and athleticism to attack off the dribble. He ranked tied for third at the NBA combine in max vertical leap (40.5 inches). And he shot 37.3% from 3-point range after becoming a starter for the final 20 games.

CONCERNS: He shot just 65.9% at the foul line as a starter and didn’t consistently create opportunities, having nearly as many games with no attempts (six) as those with three or more (seven).

JARACE WALKER, Houston

STRENGTHS: The McDonald’s All-American joined Kelvin Sampson’s Cougars program built on defense, rebounding and toughness – a formula typically better suited to older players. Yet the 6-7 forward fit right in as a 250-pound presence. He measured with a better than 7-2 wingspan at the NBA combine, ranked tied for third in standing vertical leap (34.5 inches) and tied for ninth in max vertical leap (38.0). Walker, 19, is strong enough to tussle with bigger opponents and nimble enough to switch onto wings.

CONCERNS: Walker’s stroke is still developing. He shot 34.7% from 3-point range and just 66.3% from the foul line.

TAYLOR HENDRICKS, Central Florida

STRENGTHS: The four-star recruit was a surprise, averaging 15.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while shooting 47.8% from the field and 78.2% from the line. Notably, he shot 39.4% from behind the arc and had only four games out of 33 in which he failed to hit a 3-pointer. Measuring slightly taller than 6-8 without shoes at the combine, Hendricks has athleticism and length (better than a 7-foot wingspan) that could help him become a two-way power forward for today’s floor-spaced game.

CONCERNS: The 19-year-old needs to add strength to a slender 213-pound frame. He also faced an AP Top 25 opponent just twice all season, offering only a glimpse of how he handles top competition.

OTHERS OF NOTE

GRADEY DICK: The Kansas one-and-done wing made 40.3% of his 3-point attempts as a potential lottery pick who can space the floor and potentially play as a guard. The 19-year-old measured at better than 6-6 without shoes at the NBA combine, though his minutes could depend on how he holds up defensively.

BILAL COULIBALY: Wembanyama’s teammate in France offers his own intriguing skillset. Still just 18, the athletic 6-8 wing is a first-round prospect with disruptive-defender potential and the potential to be a quality 3-point shooter.

G.G. JACKSON: The 18-year-old was set to be the nation’s No. 1 recruit for this season at North Carolina. Instead, he reclassified to enroll early and played a sometimes-frustrating season at South Carolina. The first-round prospect has a 6-8 frame with a nearly 7-foot wingspan, athleticism and shot-creating potential.

KRIS MURRAY: The twin brother to Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray more than doubled his scoring at Iowa last season (20.2, up from 9.7). The wing – who measured nearly 6-8 with a nearly 7-foot wingspan at the combine – turns 23 in August, hit 35% of his 3-point attempts over the past two seasons and could go in the back half of the first round.

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2023 NBA Draft: Scoot Henderson headlines top guard prospects

• June 20, 2023

By AARON BEARD AP Basketball Writer

In most years, Scoot Henderson would be discussed as the potential No. 1 overall NBA draft pick.

Instead, the explosive point guard who bypassed college is among the top talents lined up behind generational prospect Victor Wembanyama. He’s also the top guard in AP’s NBA Mock Draft, a position featuring plenty of athleticism and upside with lottery prospects including twins Amen and Ausar Thompson.

Here’s a look at the position:

SCOOT HENDERSON, G League

STRENGTHS: The 19-year-old from Georgia has athleticism that jumps out immediately, drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook after spending two years with the G League Ignite program. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Henderson forcefully attacks the paint, making him capable of highlight-reel finishes or pulling up off the dribble. He has an aggressive edge as a playmaker and in transition, and he offers the potential to disrupt defensively with deflections and activity.

CONCERNS: Few considering he’s been long mentioned possibly to go 1-2 behind Wembanyama. His shot selection could improve along with his outside stroke after he hit 27.5% of his 3-point attempts in 19 regular-season games last year.

THOMPSON TWINS. Overtime Elite

STRENGTHS: The 20-year-olds boast similar explosive athleticism out of Overtime Elite after skipping college basketball. Both have smooth games with quick first steps, the ability to finish at the rim and often-tenacious defense.

Amen – older by 1 minute – is considered the more developed passer and playmaker, while Ausar has shown a range of shots from a hook to a mid-range floater and might be the better defender. Ausar was also named league MVP. Both measured around 215 pounds and roughly 6-6 without shoes at the NBA combine.

CONCERNS: They’re still honing their outside shots to become more consistent, and they’re preparing to be truly separated for the first time in their basketball careers. Their father, Troy, said about the twins: “Wherever they have a deficit, they will work tirelessly to try to get it right or fix it. Almost to a perfectionist point, which I wish they could pull back a little bit sometimes.”

ANTHONY BLACK, Arkansas

STRENGTHS: A top-15 national recruit, the 19-year-old started all 36 games for Arkansas. He’s a playmaker with size, measuring nearly 6-6 without shoes and 210 pounds at the NBA combine. He averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals while playing a Southeastern Conference-high 34.8 minutes to contribute in multiple areas as a lottery prospect.

CONCERNS: The freshman shot 30.1% from 3-point range and made 70.5% of his free throws, areas to improve ahead of taking on significant ball-handling duties as a creator.

CASON WALLACE, Kentucky

STRENGTHS: The No. 5 overall recruit for last year’s incoming freshman class is a combo guard with two-way potential. The 6-2, 195-pounder is Kentucky’s latest one-and-done prospect, standing out by disrupting defensively and harassing ballhandlers. He showed that in three nonconference games against marquee programs: he tied a program record with eight steals against Michigan State, had four against Gonzaga and five against Kansas. Wallace, 19, also finished with a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover margin to highlight playmaking skills.

CONCERNS: There aren’t glaring holes for the lottery prospect. It would help to improve on 34.6% shooting from 3-point range, and he doesn’t possess game-breaking athleticism.

JORDAN HAWKINS, Connecticut

STRENGTHS: The 6-4 sophomore helped Connecticut win the program’s fifth NCAA championship this spring. He’s adept in catch-and-shoot, pull-up and off-screen situations, shooting 38.8% from behind the arc – including going 21 for 42 from 3-point range (.500) during the six-game NCAA Tournament run. The 21-year-old also made 88.7% of his free throws, showing a touch that could land him late in the lottery.

CONCERNS: He’ll need more strength on a 186-pound frame to handle physical play. Roughly 60% of his baskets came from behind the arc, so it could help to develop more off-dribble production toward the rim, too.

OTHERS OF NOTE

KEYONTE GEORGE: The 6-4 combo guard could crack the lottery after showing his scoring punch (15.3) as a Baylor freshman. His foul shooting (79.3%) offers optimism he can improve his 3-point percentage (33.8%). He also had more turnovers (96) than assists (91).

NICK SMITH JR.: The top-ranked recruit for 247sports was limited by a knee injury for much of his lone season at Arkansas. The 6-5, 185-pound guard averaged 12.5 points while missing 19 of 36 games, but his scoring potential makes him a first-round prospect.

KOBE BUFKIN: The 6-4, 187-pound Michigan sophomore could develop to impact both ends of the court. The first-round prospect made significant gains last year, including scoring (14.0, up from 3.0), 3-point shooting (35.5%, from 22.2%) and free-throw shooting (84.9%, from 77.3%).

JALEN HOOD-SCHIFINO: The Big Ten Freshman of the Year averaged 13.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.7 assists for Indiana. The first-round prospect brings size to the point, measuring better than 6-4 without shoes and 217 pounds at the combine.

DARIQ WHITEHEAD: The one-and-done Duke guard battled multiple injuries but flashed signs of being a powerful driver and athletic scorer. He could deliver value in the back half of the first round.

AP Sports Writer Pat Graham contributed to this report.

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2023 NBA Draft: Victor Wembanyama isn’t the only French prospect worth watching

• June 20, 2023

By KEN MAGUIRE AP Sports Writer

PARIS — Victor Wembanyama wasn’t the only young French prospect turning heads overseas.

Granted, fans would have had to look much farther to find Rayan Rupert, who played for the New Zealand Breakers. He is among the international prospects expecting to hear their names called at the NBA draft on Thursday in New York. They don’t possess Wembanyama’s size and skills, but they’re confident they can make an impact.

There’s a distinct French flavor in this year’s draft class. Wembanyama and Rupert are French, as is Bilal Coulibaly, Wembanyama’s teammate with Metropolitans 92.

Here’s a look at some of the top international prospects other than Wembanyama:

RAYAN RUPERT, NEW ZEALAND BREAKERS

STRENGTHS: Rupert is a tenacious defender with a 7-foot-2 wingspan who likens his game to Mikal Bridges of the Brooklyn Nets. Standing 6-6 without shoes, the 193-pound swingman was part of the National Basketball League’s Next Stars program and just turned 19. He averaged 5.9 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. After breaking his right wrist early in the season, he used the time to improve his left-handed skills. His sister, Iliana Rupert, was drafted by the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in 2021.

CONCERNS: Rupert shot 23% from 3-point range in 28 games played and acknowledges that he needs to improve his consistency from behind the arc. His overall field-goal percentage was just 35%, though he says his jump shot is underrated.

BILAL COULIBALY, METROPOLITANS 92

STRENGTHS: The 6-6 swingman uses his length effectively on both ends, slashing and finishing above the rim while also being a disruptive defender. The 18-year-old Coulibaly is projected to be the 11th pick in the AP’s NBA Mock Draft. He’s a pest defensively, using his 7-3 wingspan to harass ball handlers and shooters. Super athletic, makes smart cuts and can finish in traffic. Delivered some strong performances in the playoffs for Metropolitans 92 in the French league.

CONCERNS: Not a pure shooter. Even benefitting from extra space with Wembanyama on the floor, he shot just under 24% from 3-point range through nine playoff games – down from 36% during the regular season. Here’s what Wembanyama thinks: “By now, everyone knows he deserves to be top 10. But not enough realize he deserves to be top 5.”

JAMES NNAJI, BARCELONA

STRENGTHS: The 6-11 Nigerian center with a 7-5 wingspan is a rim protector and pick-and-roll lob threat for Barcelona, one of the best teams in Europe. The 249-pound Nnaji has averaged 9.3 minutes, 2.2 rebounds and 0.6 blocks per game over 53 games – with Barcelona currently in the Spanish league playoffs and facing Real Madrid in the finals.

CONCERNS: Lacks shooting touch when defenders keep him away from the rim. Can be prone to turnovers – 0.8 per game in limited minutes – due to unrefined post moves. He’s shooting 51% from the free-throw line. He’s seen as a developmental prospect – he turns 19 in August.

KEEP AN EYE ON

Tristan Vukcevic: The 20-year-old center impressed at the NBA draft combine, scoring 21 points with 3-for-3 shooting from behind the arc in one game, and standing just over 6-11 without shoes. Vukcevic has moved all around Europe, playing in Olympiacos’ youth system before joining Real Madrid and ultimately Partizan Belgrade in Serbia, where he shot 37.3% from 3-point range this season.

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Disciplinary hearing against Trump attorney John Eastman begins in California

• June 20, 2023

By STEFANIE DAZIO AND MICHAEL R. BLOOD

LOS ANGELES — An effort to disbar conservative attorney John Eastman, who devised ways to keep President Donald Trump in the White House after his defeat in the 2020 election, will begin Tuesday in Los Angeles.

Eastman, a former Chapman University law dean, is expected to spend the day testifying before the State Bar of California in a proceeding that could result in him losing his license to practice law in the state. He faces 11 disciplinary charges stemming from his development of a dubious legal strategy that was aimed at helping Trump remain in power by disrupting the counting of state electoral votes.

The State Bar’s counsel will seek Eastman’s disbarment during a hearing before the State Bar Court that’s expected to last at least eight days. If the court finds Eastman culpable of the alleged violations it can recommend a punishment such as suspending or revoking his law license. The California Supreme Court makes the final decision.

Eastman is scheduled to testify in his own defense Tuesday. The proceedings will feature witnesses such as Greg Jacob, a former attorney for then-Vice President Mike Pence who pushed back against Eastman’s plan to have Pence stop the certification of Joe Biden’s victory.

Eastman was one of Trump’s lawyers during the election. He argued, in a memo, that Pence could keep Trump in power by overturning the results of the election during a joint session of Congress convened to count electoral votes. Critics have likened that to instructions for staging a coup.

Eastman violated California’s business and professions code by making false and misleading statements that constitute acts of “moral turpitude, dishonesty, and corruption,” the State Bar alleges, and in doing so he “violated this duty in furtherance of an attempt to usurp the will of the American people and overturn election results for the highest office in the land — an egregious and unprecedented attack on our democracy.”

Eastman’s attorney previously said his client disputes “every aspect” of the allegations.

The State Bar’s action “is part of a nationwide effort to use the bar discipline process to penalize attorneys who opposed the current administration in the last presidential election. Americans of both political parties should be troubled by this politicization of our nation’s state bars,” Eastman’s attorney, Randall A. Miller, said in a statement when the charges were announced in January.

Eastman has been a member of the California Bar since 1997, according to its website. He was a law clerk for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and a founding director of the Center for Constitutional Jurisprudence, a law firm affiliated with the Claremont Institute. He ran for California attorney general in 2010, finishing second in the Republican primary.

Eastman retired as dean of the Chapman University law school in Southern California last year after more than 160 faculty members signed a letter calling for the university to take action against him.

The California State Bar is a regulatory agency and the only court system in the U.S. that is dedicated to attorney discipline.

Eastman’s disciplinary hearing comes as special counsel Jack Smith continues his investigation into efforts by Trump and his Republican allies to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

A federal grand jury in Washington has been meeting behind closed doors for months to hear testimony from witnesses, including Pence, who has publicly described a pressure campaign by Trump aimed at getting him to halt Congress’ certification of the election results and the win by Biden, a Democrat.

Federal agents seized Eastman’s cellphone last summer as he was leaving a restaurant, he said in a court filing. That day, law enforcement officials conducted similar activity around the country as part of their probe.

Since Smith’s appointment in November, he has cast a broad net in demanding interviews and testimony related to fundraising, Trump’s rally that preceded the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021, and communications between Trump associates and election officials in battleground states. Eastman spoke at the rally.

In December, Smith subpoenaed local election officials in Wisconsin, Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania, asking for communications with or involving Trump, his 2020 campaign aides and a list of allies — including Eastman — who were involved in his efforts to try to overturn the results of the election.

The investigation is separate from another probe by Smith into classified documents found at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, that led this month to felony charges against Trump. Trump pleaded not guilty last week to 37 felony counts, including conspiracy to obstruct justice.

Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Boston.

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SETI Institute trustee, billionaire explorer, famed French diver among 5 on board the missing sub

• June 20, 2023

A billionaire father and son duo, a wealthy explorer and a diver with decades of experience exploring the Titanic are among the five people on board the submersible that has disappeared en route to view the world’s most famous shipwreck.

Authorities said the small vessel – roughly the size of a minivan – was carrying five people when its mothership lost contact with it on Sunday morning, about 1 hour and 45 minutes into its descent to explore the Titanic wreckage.

While the names of those on board have not been released by the authorities, British businessman Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaire Shahzada Dawood and his son Sulaiman Dawood, and French diver Paul-Henry Nargeolet have been confirmed to be on board the craft.

The fifth person on board has been identified only as the vessel’s pilot.

Harding, who has an impressive list of extreme expeditions under his belt, is based in the United Arab Emirates and is a trained jet pilot. He is the chairman of Action Aviation, an aircraft brokerage. The company said in statement posted on social media that Harding was on board the submersible.

He made headlines in 2019 for being part of a flight crew that broke the world record for the fastest circumnavigation of the globe via both poles.

In 2020, Harding became one of the first people to dive to Challenger Deep in the Pacific Ocean, widely believed to be the deepest point in the world’s oceans. Last year, he paid an undisclosed sum of money for one of the seats on Blue Origin’s space flight.

He has also been part of two record-breaking trips to the South Pole: in 2016, he accompanied the astronaut Buzz Aldrin when he became the oldest person to reach the South Pole. In 2020, he went there with his son Giles, who, at 12 years old, became the youngest person to get to the spot.

Harding is also a founding member of the board of trustees of The Explorers Club, a New York-based group that has been involved in many of the world’s most prestigious discoveries.

The day before the vessel went missing, Harding wrote on social media that he was “proud to finally announce that I joined OceanGate Expeditions for their RMS TITANIC Mission as a mission specialist on the sub going down to the Titanic.”

Father and son

Shahzada Dawood and his son, Sulaiman Dawood, have also been confirmed to be among the five people aboard the submersible.

A statement from their family said the duo had embarked on the “journey to visit the remnants of the Titanic in the Atlantic Ocean.”

“As of now, contact has been lost with their submersible craft and there is limited information available,” the statement added.

The Dawoods are a prominent Pakistani business family. Dawood Hercules Corporation, their business, is among the largest corporations in the country, with a portfolio spanning energy, petrochemicals, fertilizers, IT and food and agriculture.

The business is headed by the family patriarch Hussain Dawood, with his sons Shahzada and Abdul Samad leading various divisions and his daughter Sabrina Dawood in charge of the charitable arm of the business, according to the Dawood Hercules Corporation’s website.

Shahzada Dawood is also trustee of the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, a research organization, and a number of other foundations.

Harding said in a social media post on Saturday that diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, was scheduled to be on the dive with him.

“The team on the sub has a couple of legendary explorers, some of which have done over 30 dives to the RMS Titanic since the 1980s including PH Nargeolet,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Nargeolet’s family confirmed to CNN affiliate BFMTV that he was aboard the vessel.

The diver has decades of experience exploring the Titanic. He serves as the director of underwater research at RMS Titanic Inc., the company that has exclusive rights to salvage artifacts from the ship.

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According to his biography on the company’s website, Nargeolet completed 35 dives to the Titanic wreck and supervised the recovery of 5,000 artifacts. He spent 22 years in the French Navy, where he rose to the rank of a commander, the website says.

David Gallo, senior adviser for strategic initiatives at RMS Titanic Inc. and a colleague of Nargeolet, told CNN the French diver is “the best” at deep-sea searching. He said that “everything that can be done, is being done.”

“Something we always think about as explorers and scientists … we’ve always known something like this could happen and now it’s happened. But we’re still pretty much in shock, the community is. I hope it has a good ending,” he said.

The-CNN-Wire & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

​ Orange County Register 

Inside the deepening rivalry between Gavin Newsom and Ron DeSantis

• June 20, 2023

By STEVE PEOPLES and MICHAEL R. BLOOD

SACRAMENTO — California Gov. Gavin Newsom says there’s no chance “on God’s green earth” he’s running for president in 2024, but he wants to make clear that Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is running, is “weak” and “undisciplined” and “will be crushed by Donald Trump.”

DeSantis, meanwhile, likes to mock Newsom’s apparent “fixation” on Florida while insisting that the Democratic governor’s “leftist government” is destroying California.

Welcome to one of the fiercest rivalries in U.S. politics, featuring dueling term-limited governors who represent opposite ends of the ideological spectrum and lead two of the nation’s largest and most influential states. Newsom and DeSantis will not face each other on any ballot in 2024, but in many ways, they are defining the debate from their corners of America as the presidential primary season gets underway.

Newsom addressed his contempt for DeSantis and his loyalty to President Joe Biden in a recent interview just as the Florida governor launched a two-day fundraising trek spanning at least five stops across California. The Golden State has become one of DeSantis’ favorite punching bags as he tries to avoid a direct confrontation with his chief Republican presidential rival, Trump, and the former president’s escalating legal challenges.

“He’s taking his eye off the ball,” Newsom said of DeSantis’ escalating attacks against him. “And that’s not inconsistent with my own assessment of him, which is he is a weak candidate, and he is undisciplined and will be crushed by Donald Trump, and will soon be in third or fourth in national polls.”

Representatives for DeSantis did not make the governor available for an interview. Beneath the war of words, however, strategists in both parties suggest there may be a mutually beneficial dynamic at play. As they jab at each other’s policies and personalities through comments in the press and on social media, the governors are scoring points with their respective political bases, raising money and expanding their national brands.

Both men issued fundraising appeals Monday going after the other by name.

But it’s not all helpful.

Newsom, in particular, is facing nagging questions about his presidential ambitions less than a week after DeSantis dared him to “stop pussyfooting around” and launch a primary challenge against Biden.

The California governor, whose second and final term concludes at the end of 2026, has seen his national profile grow since he easily beat back a recall attempt in 2021 and cruised to reelection last fall. He finished the midterm campaign with roughly $16 million in the bank. And in March, he channeled $10 million to a new political action committee he’s calling the Campaign for Democracy.

All the while, Newsom’s team has been moving deliberately to avoid the perception that he’s running a shadow presidential campaign just as Biden ramps up his political activities.

For example, Newsom’s new PAC is initially focusing on challenging Republican leaders in deep-red states that are largely irrelevant in the 2024 presidential race. He campaigned in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi in April on his first trip associated with the PAC.

Newsom is expected to avoid battleground states or key presidential primary states for the foreseeable future, his allies say.

At the same time, the California governor and his team have been in regular contact with Biden and his top aides, including Jen O’Malley Dillon, who managed the president’s 2020 campaign and serves as deputy White House chief of staff. A Biden campaign official said the president’s team coordinates closely with Newsom.

“Newsom is not going to run against Joe Biden and never would. But life is long, and Newsom is one of the prominent national Democrats. It’s part of that role to have these big national battles,” longtime Newsom adviser and friend Nathan Ballard said of the feud with DeSantis.

“There is the 2024 election, and then there is a 2028 election,” Ballard added.

Indeed, veteran Democratic consultant Roy Behr, whose clients included former California Sen. Barbara Boxer, said the two governors are engaged in what could become an early preview of the 2028 presidential contest.

“It’s not inconceivable that four years from now, these two guys could be their respective parties’ nominees,” he said. In tangling with DeSantis, who is 44, the 55-year-old Newsom is building his national brand and visibility and is “certainly trying to create opportunities for himself.”

Sacramento-based Democratic consultant Andrew Acosta said he expected the ongoing rivalry to continue given that it’s beneficial for both politicians with their core supporters. He described Newsom and DeSantis as “frenemies.”

“They both get points off it,” Acosta said. “There is a hard core of voters on both sides who think this is great.”

While polling shows that many Democrats don’t want the 80-year-old Biden to seek a second term, Newsom said there are no circumstances in which he would challenge the sitting president of his own party.

“Not on God’s green earth, as the phrase goes,” Newsom said in the weekend interview, adding that he would be with Biden on Monday and hosting a fundraiser for him Tuesday. “I have been pretty consistently — including recently on Fox News — making the case for his candidacy.”

DeSantis did not plan to make any public appearances during his California fundraising tour, which included stops in Sacramento and the Bay Area on Monday and continues Tuesday with events planned for San Diego, Orange County and Los Angeles.

Over the weekend in Nevada, DeSantis noted that he’s seen a surge of “disgruntled Californians” moving to Florida.

“Why would you leave like a San Diego to come to say, Jacksonville, Florida? I see people doing that,” DeSantis told thousands of conservative activists at a weekend gathering close to the California border. “It’s because leftist government is destroying that state. Leftist government is destroying cities all over our country. It’s destroying other states.”

Former Nevada attorney general Adam Laxalt, who hosted the weekend event and leads the pro-DeSantis super PAC, said the policy contrast between the leaders of Florida and California is “a debate that our whole country needs to have.”

“California has been the model for many leftist policies. I would take the contrast between Florida’s policies and its results led by Gov. DeSantis and the California policies, any day of the week,” Laxalt said in an interview. “We can already see what leftist policies do.”

Both DeSantis and Newsom took office in 2019 and won reelection for their second and final terms in 2022. While in office, both have been buoyed by multiple billion-dollar budget surpluses and the help of statehouses controlled by their own party that supercharged their agendas.

In California, Newsom expanded the state’s Medicaid program to cover all eligible adults, regardless of their immigration status. He signed a raft of legislation to make it easier to get an abortion, including authorizing $20 million in state spending to help people from other states travel to California. When the U.S. Supreme Court declined to strike down an abortion law in Texas that was enforced by private lawsuits, Newsom signed a similar law in California — only he made it about guns.

And earlier this month, he proposed amending the U.S. Constitution to institute what he called a “reasonable” waiting period for all gun purchases, a ban on so-called assault rifles, universal background checks and raising the minimum age to buy a firearm to 21.

“I think Gavin Newsom is a very useful foil for Ron DeSantis, quite frankly,” said Lanhee Chen, a California Republican who attended one of DeSantis’ five California fundraisers this week. “The more kinds of crazy things that Newsom does — at least, crazy in the in the eyes of Republican voters — the more I think Ron DeSantis frankly benefits as somebody who seen as a counterweight to that.”

In Florida, DeSantis has leaned into cultural conservative issues in what he calls his “war on woke.”

Earlier this month, his administration flew groups of migrants from Texas to Sacramento to draw attention to the influx of Latin American immigrants trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. He did the same last fall, sending dozens of immigrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, which he often highlights during his stump speeches.

DeSantis also signed and then expanded the Parental Rights in Education bill — known by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay” law, which bans instruction or classroom discussion of LGBTQ+ issues in Florida public schools for all grades. He seized control of Disney World’s governing body after the company publicly opposed the law.

The Florida governor this year also signed a law banning abortions at six weeks, which is before most women realize they’re pregnant. And he took control of a liberal arts college that he believed was indoctrinating students with leftist ideology.

While DeSantis does not have the legal entanglements that Trump faces, Newsom said Democrats may be wrong to assume the former president would be an easier candidate to defeat in the 2024 general election.

“I see deep weakness — I refer to it often — weakness with DeSantis masquerading as strength,” Newsom said. “I think he’d be a more favored candidate. But I’ll leave that judgment to more objective minds.”

Associated Press writers Adam Beam in Sacramento and Michelle Price in New York contributed.

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​ Orange County Register 

Hunter Biden to plead guilty to federal tax charges, strikes deal on gun charge

• June 20, 2023

Hunter Biden will plead guilty to two tax misdemeanors and struck a deal with federal prosecutors regarding a felony gun charge, the Justice Department said Tuesday in court filings.

The plea deal will have immediate reverberations in the 2024 presidential election.

The charges were detailed in a criminal filing in US District Court in Delaware, where the US Attorney David Weiss, a Donald Trump appointee, has been conducting the investigation that at one time explored allegations of money laundering, foreign lobbying and other potential charges.

Hunter Biden’s attorney said in a statement that the deal with federal prosecutors will “resolve” the Justice Department’s long-running criminal probe into the president’s son.

“Hunter will take responsibility for two instances of misdemeanor failure to file tax payments when due pursuant to a plea agreement,” said Christopher Clark. “A firearm charge, which will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement and will not be the subject of the plea agreement, will also be filed by the Government. I know Hunter believes it is important to take responsibility for these mistakes he made during a period of turmoil and addiction in his life. He looks forward to continuing his recovery and moving forward.”

​ Orange County Register