The San Antonio Spurs have won the 2023 NBA draft lottery and the right to select French super-prospect Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Charlotte Hornets will draft second, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. The Detroit Pistons, who finished a league-worst 17-65, will pick fifth, marking the fifth straight season the team with the worst record will not select first overall.
The Pistons, Rockets and Spurs were tied with the best odds to land the top pick at 14%, followed by the Hornets (12%) and Blazers (10.5%).
Wembanyama, 19, is perhaps the most hyped NBA prospect since LeBron James in 2003. At 7-foot-5, he is considered a generational talent with all the tools, including the ability to create his shot off the dribble, shoot step-back 3s and use his 8-foot wingspan to protect the rim.
Other coveted prospects in the 2023 draft include Alabama’s Brandon Miller and G League Ignite’s Scoot Henderson.
This is the third time the Spurs will have the top pick in the draft. The other times, they took Tim Duncan in 1997 and David Robinson in 1987.
The draft will take place June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
The full 2023 draft lottery order:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Charlotte Hornets
3. Portland Trail Blazers
4. Houston Rockets
5. Detroit Pistons
9. Utah Jazz
10. Dallas Mavericks
11. Orlando Magic
13. Toronto Raptors