French prospect Victor Wembanyama took part in Tuesday night’s exhibition event in the Vegas suburb of Henderson, going up against another top 2023 NBA Draft prospect in that of guard Scoot Henderson.
The 7-foot-4 big man impressed the scouts that were on hand inside Dollar Loan Center as his Metropolitans 92’s lost to the G-League’s Ignite.
Seen as a generational prospect, Wembanyama dropped 37 points while nailing seven 3-pointers and blocking five shots. He was a highlight-reel waiting to happen.
It’s now looking like some bottom-feeding NBA teams are prepared to tank for Wembanyama. In fact, internal conversations were already being had one day after his eye-opening exhibition performance on the outskirts of Vegas.
“Multiple top basketball executives told ESPN of conversations on Wednesday with their own ownership groups that expressed a better understanding of the transformational value of drafting Wembanyama — and the steps, some painful, it would take to give their teams the best odds at drafting him.”
Report on Victor Wembanyama from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Jonathan Givony
This sure isn’t going to be music to the ears of NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Co. He has in the past pushed back against the idea of tanking in that it would impact competitive balance around the Association. The last time we saw this come to the forefront was during the 2018-19 season when Zion Williamson was seen as a generational prospect leading up to the annual NBA Draft that June.
Related: Victor Wembanyama headlines Sportsnaut’s early 2023 NBA mock draft
Victor Wembanyama already drawing LeBron James hype
It’s crazy to think about. Youngsters reading this article have no idea how much hype LeBron James brought to the table when he was starring at St. Vincent–St. Mary High School in Ohio leading up to the 2003 NBA Draft. We’re talking about nationally televised high school basketball games on ESPN at a time when they were not remotely prevalent. Now, it seems that Wembanyama is drawing the same type of hype.
“He’s a 7-foot-4 Durant who blocks shots — and he’s not even close to what he’s going to be. He will be the most hyped player since LeBron.”
An unnamed NBA GM on Victor Wembanyama
That’s an absolutely insane comparison. But in reality, what Wembanyama seems to bring to the table is generational. That was out in full display Tuesday evening.
The 18-year-old France native combines his otherworldly 7-foot-4 frame with an ability to hit the outside shot, drive through the lane, pull up on the mid-range and protect the rim on the other end of the court. “Think Kevin Durant meets Rudy Gobert,” Givony said on Wednesday.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated NBA power rankings
Tanking for Victor Wembanyama would have NBA-wide ramifications
Even if a team were to lose all 82 games this season, it would still only have a 14% chance to land Wembanyama. It’s in this that the idea of compiling more draft picks as a way to lure the team that actually lands the top pick could be in the cards.
In reality, we could be looking at one of the busiest NBA trade deadlines in modern league history when it comes to pass in February. We could also be looking at non-contending teams doing what they can to put themselves in position to land the top selection.
As of right now, it stands to reason that the Utah Jazz could be a team to look out for. They dealt away Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert during the offseason, accumulating a ton of picks in the process. Utah has one of the least-talented rosters in the Association and veteran who might be able to add more draft picks to the mix in trades during the season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have also done a lot of work to add to their draft pick stockpiles. A bit further down the line, the New York Knicks have also done well to pick up a nice amount of picks. Though, they are likely too talented to tank for Victor Wembanyama.