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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Bryan Kalbrosky

Leonard Miller will withdraw from 2022 NBA Draft to play for G League Ignite, and it’s the right call

Canada’s Leonard Miller was the most intriguing prospect in the 2022 NBA Draft. But as we wrote last month, his next decision was what mattered most.

Miller, who also considered attending Kentucky or Arizona, has decided to play for the G League Ignite. Considering that the 6-foot-10 lefty ball-handler was a potential first-round pick, he will likely be prominently featured in coach Jason Hart’s offense at the developmental program.

Miller was absolutely dominant at Fort Erie Academy in Canada, and he was also one of the best performers at Nike Hoop Summit in Portland, Ore. back in April.

Although he had fantastic measurements at the 2022 NBA Draft Combine, there were some concerns about Miller’s performance during his five-on-five scrimmages.

He struggled to score and the pace of play looked a bit too fast for Miller, who would have been the youngest player eligible to hear his name called had he opted to stay in this draft class.

While it will be interesting to see how Miller performs against professionals with much more experience than he has once he is in the G Leauge, this was ultimately the right call. On the Ignite, Miller can learn the tools to improve his game before taking the jump to the next level.

When the 2023 NBA Draft arrives, he will still be only 19 years old, so there is still a ton of upside for Miller considering he is such a unique prospect. As one scout recently told For The Win, if there is potential to go in the lottery, that’s the year a prospect should stay for the draft.

Even though Miller had some momentum this year, he could have lottery-level momentum next year. That type of contractual security (which comes with guaranteed money and more developmental priority from the team) is worth the wait.

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