For some teams, Tuesday night was the most important day of the league year. Yes, even more important than any game played during the 2022-2023 season. The NBA Draft Lottery was held in Chicago, with the first 14 spots being determined.
Everyone was fighting for the right to select Victor Wembanyama. With a ton of anticipation occurring, the San Antonio Spurs wound up on the winning end, claiming the No. 1 overall spot. Heartbreak for the other franchises, general manager Brian Wright can now select a once in a lifetime prospect.
Here are the top 14 picks of 2023 NBA Draft order.
- San Antonio Spurs
- Charlotte Hornets
- Portland Trailblazers
- Houston Rockets
- Detroit Pistons
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
- Washington Wizards
- Utah Jazz
- Dallas Mavericks
- Orlando Magic
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Toronto Raptors
- New Orleans Pelicans
Heading into the night, Detroit, Houston, and San Antonio all held the highest odds of landing the No. 1 overall pick at 14%. All three had a winning percentage under .300, really fighting hard to land a generational player at the top.
Only two of the three wound up being in the top four picks, with San Antonio winding up the winners. Head coach Greg Popovich as another generational big man at his disposal and will once again be looking to win championships.
Spurs likely to draft Victor Wembanyama with No. 1 overall pick after winning NBA Draft Lottery
No matter who won the lottery, everyone knows whose name commissioner Adam Silver will read first come draft night. French star Victor Wembanyama has taken the basketball world by storm and will likely head to San Antonio.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was not shy on how he felt about Wembanyama. He believes there is a chance nobody in the history of team sports compares to him as a prospect.
“This is the most highly-anticipated player to ever enter the NBA,” Wojnarowski said. “Maybe not only the greatest prospect in the NBA’s history. Maybe the greatest prospect in the history of team sports.”
LeBron James was the last prospect to gain this much attention, coming out of St. Vincent St. Mary’s High School in Akron. He wound up in Cleveland and has more than lived up to the hype.
There are a few other top level prospects teams can select this summer, with Scoot Henderson having the attention from the G-League and Alabama’s Brandon Miller from the college ranks. But Wembanyama is thought to be on a different level.
