Assessing Which NBA Lottery Teams Need Victor Wembanyama the Most
There’s no question Victor Wembanyama is one of the most highly coveted NBA Draft prospects we’ve seen in the history of the league.
Standing at 7-foot-4 with a reported 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama has superstar upside as a fluid three-level scorer and defensive anchor.
Now just 11 days from the NBA Draft lottery, lets assess which teams need Wembanyama’s talents the most moving forward:
Houston Rockets
With two league-worst finishes and a runner-up in the reverse standings in the last three seasons, the Rockets top the list.
While they’ve acquired plenty of talent in Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. over the last few drafts, they don’t have much direction, and Wembanyama would give them the necessary push to consolidate around his gravitational pull.
And just in time, too, with new head coach Ime Udoka inbound.
Charlotte Hornets
The Hornets, who hold the fourth-best odds to land Wembanyama come lottery night, come in a close second to Houston.
The Hornets haven’t done a great job of amassing talent around LaMelo Ball in recent years, and in a similar boat, don’t have much direction at the moment. Landing Wembanyama would in the least give them a centrifugal piece to add around, and create a potent one-two punch next to Ball.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers currently sit in limbo between contention and a full-blown rebuild, and landing Wembanyama would finally propel them into the next era of Blazers basketball.
Of course, they could always pair 32-year-old Damian Lillard with Wembanyama, but offloading the veteran superstar for prospects and picks, which is likely already being talked about at this point in their timeline, would accelerate the process.
Honorable Mentions:
San Antonio Spurs: without an outright number one option, the Spurs could certainly use the French phenom’s talents. But their developmental track record says they’ll likely be okay with whoever they land in the top-five.
Detroit Pistons: Detroit finished with the league’s worst record, but that was primarily due to former No. 1 overall pick Cade Cunningham’s injury. The Pistons would certainly benefit from Wembanyama, but getting Cunningham back and on track may be the key to their success.
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