Once the 2023 NBA Draft comes calling in less than three weeks, Victor Wembanyama will hear his name called as the No. 1 pick of the San Antonio Spurs.
Unlike previous iterations of the annual event, there is no drama on that front. The French big man is considered one of the top prospects to entire the Association since LeBron James all the way back in 2003.
While there’s no drama about where Wembanyama is going to end up, there has been talk regarding his Summer League debut.
In a vacuum, the NBA would prefer the likely No. 1 pick makes his debut in Las Vegas. However, Sacramento will be hosting the first Summer League tournament in July. It comes just a short while before the league heads to Southern Nevada.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver talked about this recently, indicating that the Association wouldn’t have an issue with Wembanyama debuting in California’s capital city.
“All summer leagues are NBA summer leagues. I’m very supportive of the Sacramento summer league,” Silver told the Associated Press. “I remember when [Kings owner Vivek Ranadive] first came to the league and said this was something he wanted to do. I said, ‘As long as you have enough other teams who support it and players who want to play in it, it’s a good thing.'”
Since making its debut in Las Vegas back in 2004, the NBA Summer League has taken off big time. It’s turned into a major event in Nevada with several big-name players making their way to Las Vegas.
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In terms of public relations and adding to Victor Wembanyama’s brand as an international sensation, the league would certainly prefer the youngster making his debut in Vegas rather than Sacramento. But Silver and Co. are not going to say that publicly.
As for the Spurs, they have not committed to Wembanyama playing in either Summer League. There’s an obvious reason for this. San Antonio can’t comment on him until it officially makes the 7-foot-4 big man the No. 1 pick come June 22 in New York City.
However, the NBA is planning for a presence in Las Vegas. Wembanyama is already being listed as one of the participants for the inaugural NBA Con in Southern Nevada, which will take place during the Summer League in early July.