Lakers News: LeBron James, Anthony Davis Mingle With Projected No. 1 Draft Pick Victor Wembanyama In Vegas
Two of the most exciting No. 1 NBA draft picks of the millennium sat with a third recently in Las Vegas.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Anthony Davis hung out with projected 2023 top pick Victor Wembanyama. The 7'4" 18-year-old power forward/center's French club, Metropolitans 92, was in Las Vegas for two showcase games against the G League Ignite, which boasts several other future lottery picks, most notably 6'2" point guard Scoot Henderson, the anticipated No. 2 selection in next year's draft.
Following a loss against the G League Ignite on Tuesday, Wembanyama and co. got vengeance in a Thursday rematch, winning 112-106. The Frenchman notched 36 points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and four steals in the effort. Check out the game's final six minutes below.
Wembanyama stuck around long enough to check out the subsequent Los Angeles Lakers-Minnesota Timberwolves preseason game, L.A.'s third of 2022. With vets LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn all sitting, plus Dennis Schroder away from the team and Troy Brown Jr. ailing, a shorthanded L.A. squad fell 114-99 to a Timberwolves club that, outside of sidelined Karl-Anthony Towns, was fairly complete.
Wembanyama sat a row behind James and Davis, as seen in this picture from The Washington Post's Ben Golliver:
At some point in the evening, Wembanyama greeted the two future first-ballot Hall of Famers:
Wembanyama looks like one of the most complete draft prospects ever, boasting an incredible two-way skillset, a more or less unstoppable jumper, and jaw-droppingly smooth athleticism.
It has already been speculated that several of the NBA's lottery-bound teams could mount a full-blown tank this season in the hopes of adding Wembanyama or Henderson, two of the most tantalizing players heading into a draft in recent memory. The Lakers, who are hoping to return to the playoffs anyway, also do not have first dibs on their own pick in 2023. L.A. sent the New Orleans Pelicans the option to swap picks in the draft next year, meaning if their draft pick winds up being higher, the Pellies will just switch places with the Lakers.
