NBA Draft rumors: Spurs hope Victor Wembanyama plays in Summer League
There has been much speculation about whether or not Victor Wembanyama will appear in Summer League action for the San Antonio Spurs, who have practically already drafted him with the No. 1 pick in Thursday's NBA Draft.
Wembanyama's uniquely long, slender frame comes with natural injury concerns and he only just completed his season in France last week. International prospects tend to receive special treatment when it comes to Summer League play; international prospects of Wembanyama's singular stature tend to head straight for the exempt list.
The Spurs, however, hope their future franchise cornerstone can make an appearance in Vegas. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the 7-foot-5 Frenchman is expected to participate to "some degree," although he could ultimately just practice with the team as a previous reports indicated.
San Antonio's first Summer League game will take place July 3 in Sacramento as part of the 'California Classic.' Their opponent? The Charlotte Hornets and presumably the No. 2 pick, be it Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller. The Spurs will play two games in Sacramento before making the flight to Vegas for Summer League proper.
It's fair to expect the Spurs to handle Wemby with extreme caution. If he does appear, don't expect a full-tilt workload. San Antonio has seen enough of Wembanyama in France to have a thorough understanding of his place on the roster.
NBA Draft rumors: Pistons could trade down with No. 5 pick
The Detroit Pistons were the biggest losers on lottery night, dropping from No. 1 to No. 5 and missing out on the greatest prospect of this generation. That said, Detroit still has bountiful options at their disposal — including, according to James L. Edwards III of the Athletic (subscription required), trading the pick.
If the Pistons do trade the pick, Edwards thinks it will be to move down in the draft, not to acquire a veteran. Detroit is one of the youngest teams in the league and is still in the very early stages of its rebuild. Cade Cunningham is expected back healthy next season, while both of last season's lottery picks in Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren look like foundational pieces.
Per Edwards, the Pistons are currently mulling over five options with the No. 5 pick: Amen Thompson, Ausar Thompson, Cam Whitmore, Jarace Walker, and Taylor Hendricks. All five worked out for the team. Apparently, Ausar made the strongest impression of the Thompson twins and has real supporters in the front office, but Hendricks received the most glowing remarks overall for his shooting ability at 6-foot-9.
If the Pistons are ultimately enamored with Hendricks, that could be what facilitates a trade-down. Hendricks' projected draft range is more in the 7-12 range. The Pistons could dangle the No. 5 pick to a team looking to move up (the Pacers at No. 7 and Wizards at No. 8 feel like especially strong candidates) while sliding back to get "their guy" and some additional assets.
NBA Draft rumors: James Harden decision could factor into Rockets' No. 4 pick
The top-3 picks in Thursday's NBA Draft are all but cemented. Victor Wembanyama will go No. 1, followed by Scoot Henderson and Brandon Miller in an undetermined order. The draft really starts with Houston at No. 4, where two prospects have emerged as leading candidates, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.
Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore are the two names circulating the league as prime candidates for the Rockets at No. 4. There is more at stake for Houston than simply finding the best prospect, however.
"One potential factor in the decision is James Harden's potential return to the Rockets — a situation that rival teams have come to view as increasingly uncertain in recent weeks," writes Givony.
Harden is a brilliant playmaker who consistently elevates teammates and brings out the best in others. That said, he's also historically ball-dominant with very little appetite for off-ball movement. The Rockets already have two high-usage guards on the roster in Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. Amen Thompson is another traditionally high-usage playmaker, a player who always had the ball in his hands at Overtime Elite. His poor 3-point shooting makes a potential fit with Harden even worse.
If the Rockets are confident in Harden's return, that could propel Cam Whitmore into the No. 4 spot. Whitmore is a more proven shooter and he's a strong, slightly more versatile frontcourt defender (although Thompson is 6-foot-7 with plenty of room to bulk up). Whitmore brings some of the same propensity for rim pressure that Thompson does offensively, but without the genius-level playmaking acumen — a Thompson attribute that would likely be overshadowed in a Harden-centric offense.