Pistons, Rockets, Spurs Favorites In Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes

The Victor Wembanyama Sweepstakes is coming to an end and the Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are favored to land the rights to the player being called the “single greatest prospect in NBA history” by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Each team has a 14% chance to land the 7-foot-4 French superstar from Metropolitan 92’s during Tuesday night’s NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago, while the Charlotte Hornets have 12.5% odds and the Portland Trail Blazers are at 10.5%. He will be the highest-drafted French player in history.

Everyone from LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo to the 200 NBA personnel who witnessed Wembanyama put up 73 points in two games against G League Ignite in Las Vegas last November has praised him as a transformative prospect.

“He’s more like an alien, he’s for sure a generational talent,” said James, who watched Wembanyama in Las Vegas and was the No. 1 overall pick in 2003.

Said Giannis: “We gotta get ready for this kid, he’s going to be really good.”

ESPN’s Jay Bilas says Wembanyama might be selected ahead of James in a head-to-head draft today because with his height combined with the skillset of a guard, his upside might higher.

“I have thought about, you put Victor now and an 18-year-old LeBron James now and put them side by side and say who do you take between the two? It would be a really hard choice,” Bilas said on ESPN.

“But I tend to think that in today’s game you might take, you might favor Victor a little bit.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver warned teams against tanking for Wembanyama, but that didn’t stop them.

Wembanyama has said it doesn’t matter where he lands.

“Oh yeah, of course,” he said recently on ESPN. “I know every organization is so careful about their players, that there’s no wrong destination.”

Said Bilas: “It doesn’t matter where he goes. It didn’t matter where Tim Duncan went. It didn’t matter where LeBron went. It doesn’t matter where Victor goes.”

Woj said whoever lands Wembanyama will add significant value to their team.

“One team president said drafting Wembanyama might add as much as $500 million to the value of your franchise,” he said on ESPN in November. “At 7-foot-4, 7-5 in shoes. he is so advanced skillwise, there has just never been anyone like him.

The closest comparison for Wembanyama might be Nets’ superstar Kevin Durant.

“I honestly believe that when he does come to the NBA and establishes himself he will play similar to the way that Kevin Durant plays, where he can catch the ball in the short post and post up at the same time, but more so a face-up guy, not trying to worry about trying to back guys down,” former NBA player and current NBA analyst Cory Alexander said on ESPN earlier this season.

“The way he shoots the basketball and handles the basketball makes him a dangerous force.”

Wembanyama is listed at 209 pounds, and Durant, who is about 4 inches shorter, at 240. He averaging 21.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists.

“Kevin Durant has put on weight since he’s been in the NBA but he’s been in the league forever,” Alexander said.

“[Wembanyama] can be effective in the NBA at the size he is now. Of course getting stronger only helps. but it’s going to be about the style of play he plays.”

Bouna Ndiaye, Wembanyama’s agent, reiterated on ESPN that some NBA people had told him to shut the Frenchman down to preserve his draft stock and avoid injury, but he never did and is still competing for his team.

“Even if I wish and advise him to sit, he will not sit, because he’s here to compete, he’s here to experience these games and he’s here to learn and progress,” he said. “Victor is a competitor so when there is a basketball game you tell him not to go, he will go.”

Soon we will know where he’s going to be playing ball.

“My next goal is to be the No. 1. pick,” he told ESPN’s Jonathan Givony. “I’ve seen French players go into the draft and get draft, but never be the first pick overall.”