The 2023 NBA Draft lottery is set to air 8 p.m. ET on May 16 on ESPN. This year’s lottery will determine who gets this year’s top pick, aka the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
Wembanyama is a 19-year-old French prospect who stands at 7-foot-2. He can do it all on the floor from running, jumping, and shooting, and he has the size to quickly recovery on defense. LeBron James said the term “unicorn” has often been used to describe 7-foot prospects who can shoot and handle the ball in recent years, but Wembanyama is more of an “alien.”
Many scouts have referred to Wembanyama as the best NBA prospect since James in 2003. While it’s been said the French teenager has had more hype than any prospect since James 20 years ago, many of the same things were said about Zion Williamson in 2019. The former Duke star became the No. 1 pick by the New Orleans Pelicans. Through his first four seasons, Williamson has been named an NBA All-Star twice, but has dealt with multiple injuries.
The Detroit Piston, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the best chances to land the No. 1 pick with a 14 percent chance. The team with the lowest chance of winning the lottery, which features 14 teams, are the Pelicans at .5 percent
1. Detroit Pistons: 14 percent
2. Houston Rockets: 14 percent
3. San Antonio Spurs: 14 percent
4. Charlotte Hornets: 14 percent
5. Portland Trail Blazers: 10.5 percent
6. Orlando Magic: 9 percent
7. Indiana Pacers: 7.5 percent
8. Washington Wizards: 6 percent
9. Utah Jazz: 4.5 percent
10. Dallas Mavericks: 3 percent
11. Orlando Magic (via Chicago Bulls): 2 percent
12. Oklahoma City Thunder: 1.5 percent
13. Toronto Raptors: 1 percent
14. New Orleans Pelicans: 0.5 percent
Other top projected picks this year include metro Atlanta native Scoot Henderson, who left Kell High School early to play for the G-League Ignite. Alabama star Brandon Miller, and twins Amen and Ausar Thompson, from Overtime Elite, are also projected to get selected in this year’s lottery.
