Is Victor Wembanyama, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, attending the Combine?
The San Antonio Spurs won the 2023 NBA Draft lottery on Tuesday, all but confirming where Victor Wembanyama will start his NBA career. The French sensation has been cemented at the top of draft boards for years now due to his uncommon blend of physical gifts and effortless skill.
At 7-foot-4, Wembanyama has all the makings of a two-way superstar. He has been likened to both Kevin Durant and Rudy Gobert. His jumper is unguardable; his shot-blocking is DPOY quality.
He will shape the Spurs’ rebuild and guide them toward the next stages of contention, probably sooner than later. But, how many opportunities will fans have to see the 19-year-old up close before draft night?
Will Victor Wembanyama attend the 2023 NBA Draft Combine?
No, Victor Wembanyama will not attend the NBA Draft Combine. The NBA recently released a list of prospects who will attend the Combine in Chicago from May 15-21, but Wembanyama is not one of them. His current team in France, Metropolitans 92, is still in the midst of its season. The most hyped prospect since LeBron James simply has other commitments.
This won’t affect his draft stock, of course. Wembanyama has shown NBA scouts plenty with his perpetual dominance in a professional league. If the excitement of Spurs chairman Peter John Holt on the lottery stage was any indication, San Antonio is already planning the next decade around Wembanyama’s presence.
While there will be new rules regarding Combine participation in the league’s forthcoming collective bargaining agreement, those rules don’t take effect until 2024. While other top prospects — such as Scoot Henderson of the G-League Ignite and Brandon Miller of Alabama — will be in attendance at the Combine, don’t expect them to participate fully. Teams will be eager to interview them, but scrimmages or skill drills are likely off the table for those with established lottery position.
Once Wembanyama’s season concludes in France, it wouldn’t be surprising for him to visit the States or even the Spurs’ organization specifically. The Magic hosted multiple prospects in advance of their No. 1 selection last summer, but one has to imagine San Antonio has one man in mind at this point.