NBA Draft 2023: Analyzing top 8 teams for protected No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama

3. San Antonio Spurs – 14% chance of landing No. 1 pick in NBA Draft

We’ve reached the top-3, all of whom have the same odds to get Wembanyama. Up first is the Spurs, who after a dynastic 2-decade run, are now stuck in the bottom tier of the Western Conference. They’ve had a couple of players that could be franchise guys but they’ve traded them in hopes of adding more draft ammunition.

There are only two players on the roster that averaged more than 13 ppg this past season. One is leading scoring wing Keldon Johnson (22.0 ppg), along with Devin Vassell, who has developed into an 18.5 ppg scorer in three seasons. But the rest of the Spurs aren’t good enough, outside of last season’s lottery pick, Jeremy Sochan.

San Antonio hasn’t much frontcourt luck since Hall of Fame big man Tim Duncan retired. They traded away Jakob Poeltl to Toronto at the trade deadline and they essentially played small-ball ever since. Landing Wembanyama would be massive in getting the franchise back on the national stage and getting them out of the mud at the bottom.

It also could singlehandedly extend the coaching career of Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich, who has been rumored to be in his final years with San Antonio. If this next draft pick isn’t a true game-changing, next season could be the final one with him.