Wembanyamba to join Popovich’s Spurs

We now know Victor Wembanyamba’s fate. The draft lottery dictates that the San Antonio Spurs will take the number 1 pick. Therefore, it will be the Texan team that selects Victor Wembanyamba. It will be a huge surprise if they don’t take advantage of their good fortune in the lottery, since it is assumed that the team in pole position would take the French player. Already labeled a generational talent at just 19 years old, the young star is being tipped to change the NBA and mark an entire era - something that will take place in the San Antonio franchise. The Spurs are locked in a seemingly endless crisis from which it will try to emerge with Wembanyamba leading the way. It brings an end to the speculation as to where the power forward would end up - the Spurs, Hornets and Pistons were the teams that had the most options of winning him in the draw.

Spurs GM Brian Wright said the lottery outcome had made it “an incredible day” for the franchise.

Popovich’s luck in the draft lottery

It’s a huge boost for the Texans who have won the lottery three times - gaining the No.1 overall pick the last time in 1997. On that occasion, Gregg Popovich went for the higher pick as David Robinson (the No.1 pick in 1987), had picked up an injury the previous year - the coach preferred a losing record to rebuild and drafted Tim Duncan to help him do it. With the power forward, the Spurs formed a true dynasty that, from 1999 to 2014, achieved five rings and played in six finals. All this motivated by the arrival in the draft of another generational player, one of the best in history. A decision that forged Popovich’s reputation. Now, more than 25 years later, the coach is once again in the position of being able to choose a star in the making.

2023 NBA Draft Lottery - the full list