Can Victor Wembanyama land in Golden State Warriors after 2023 NBA draft? Brian Windhorst hints stunning trade
The NBA draft is where dreams of future superstars come true, and it's the first step in becoming a top talent in the league. As the June 22 draft starts to slowly approach, experts have begun their speculations on which teams could trade for the prized No. 1 pick this year.
Bill Simmons began a mock trade by asking ESPN's Brian Windhorst an interesting question that addressed the No. 1 pick. Simmons' scenario involves the Golden State Warriors losing to the Sacramento Kings in the first round and the Charlotte Hornets acquiring the first pick through the NBA lottery on May 16.
For this year's playoffs, the Kings will take on the Warriors in the first round. There's a chance that Sacramento could seize the moment and end Golden State's postseason early on.
Now, Victor Wembanyama is the favorite to be picked with the first pick this year, and he's considered one of the greatest pro prospects of all time. With that in mind, Simmons proposed a trade scenario where the Hornets offered the first pick to the Warriors in exchange for their franchise star, Steph Curry.
Following this hot take, Windhorst had to make some sense of Simmons' Wemby scenario.
"You can probably trade the Wembanyama trade for 99% of the league. But he (Curry) is in the 1%," Windhorst said.
Imagine if the Warriors lose to Sacramento and Charlotte wins the no. 1 draft pick. Could we see a Wemby for Steph trade package?
@BillSimmons and @WindhorstESPN explore this make-believe trade on the #BSPodcast.
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Simmons' scenario isn't totally preposterous, however, and he has to consider that the Warriors would probably not trade away a talent like Curry. Additionally, a player like Steph could probably veto a trade and not be on board with being traded, even if it means getting a chance to play for his hometown.
But if the Warriors continue to take on a downward trend, things could get out of hand and stars might show frustration. It's up to the defending champions to fix things and build another squad around the four-time champion to keep him in the long run.
You might also be interested in reading this: 10 Biggest NBA Draft mistakes of the 21st century
Which teams have the best chances at getting Wemby in the 2023 NBA draft?
Now that the 2022-23 regular season is over, fans are starting to see which teams have a chance to acquire Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA draft.
The three teams have the best chances at getting the Frenchman in June. The Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons all have a 14.0% chance of winning the lottery and then drafting him.
The final result for which the team will have the first pick will be on May 16. After the draft lottery, it would be clear if one of those three teams get the chance to draft Wemby. While they have the highest chance at the first pick, other teams can still land the top pick, depending on the results of the lottery.
Also read: 5 worst NBA Draft classes of the 21st century