"A team president said Wembanyama might add as much as $500 million to the value of a franchise" - Draft expert highlights the financial benefits of drafting Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is quickly becoming perhaps the most hyped prospect that the NBA has ever seen. The 7-foot-3 18-year-old from France has shown why he should be the top pick in the 2023 draft for more reasons than just his talent.
With Wembanyama's skillset and size, scouts, former general managers and current team presidents believe he's going to do much more for an organization than just win games.
Jonathan Givony, a draft analyst for ESPN reported:
"A team president said Wembanyama might add as much as $500 million to the value of a franchise."
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Whoever drafts Wembanyama is going to cash in 🤑
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How exactly would this work? It's simple. Wembanyama is predicted to be one of the best NBA players the world has ever seen. He can come in and make an immediate impact on a likely rebuilding team. He speeds up an organization rebuild faster than anyone ever has and could sell tickets like no other prospect ever has.
An NBA president wouldn't just be making a wise decision for the basketball court, but he would also be putting money into his and the organization's pockets.
What team will draft Victor Wembanyama?
Wembanyama is going to have an interesting few months leading up to the NBA draft. There's no debate that he's going to be the No. 1 pick, which means his agent might decide to have him sit out to avoid an injury. His agent has already said that he doesn't have any plans on sitting the future star, but it's possible that he will change his mind.
The NBA season is set to begin on Tuesday, with teams possibly planning on tanking from the start to be in the best position possible to land Wembanyama.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN spoke about the tanking that could take place this season:
"As one GM told me the other day, we are going to see a race to the bottom like we have never seen before in the NBA. Teams are trying to put themselves in a position to be able to draft Wembanyama or get second pick Scoot Henderson, who in any other year would be a No. 1 overall pick."
Reporting on remarkable French teen Victor Wembanyama for our debut episode of NBA Countdown https://t.co/Lq8GNNsMmq
Some of the teams that are expected to be in the mix are the Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, OKC Thunder and Orlando Magic.
Oklahoma City might have the best chance of drafting him due to all of the draft picks it has. If the Thunder don't land the top pick in the lottery, they could offer a package to trade for the No. 1 pick. But most teams likely wouldn't make that deal unless Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five or more picks were included in the package.
Only time will tell who will land Wembanyama. Every team that owns its first-round pick and doesn't have a chance of winning the championship may look to lose games as he can add value on and off the court.