How Victor Wembanyama will help the New Orleans Pelicans

The New Orleans Pelicans would love to land Victor Wembanyama in the 2023 NBA Draft.

What team wouldn’t? The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is being called the best prospect in NBA history, and even if that isn’t true, he’s the most hyped guy since Zion Williamson.

The New Orleans Pelicans hope to make a deep playoff run this season, so aren’t likely to end up in the lottery, but they also have a swap with the Lakes, so if LA flounders, Wembanyama could end up being the biggest prize of the Anthony Davis trade for New Orleans.

This would potentially make the Pelicans a dynasty, but also drive a stake in the heart of the Lakers, which would be an added bonus.

It’s a very unlikely scenario, as the Lakers are going to do everything in their power to make the playoffs, but even if the Pels don’t land Victor Wembanyama, he could end up helping them to an NBA championship just by existing.

New Orleans Pelicans: Victor Wembanyama is going to be a factor at the trade deadline

Even though he’s not even in the NBA yet, no player will have more impact on this season’s trade deadline than Wembanyama.

Some NBA executives think Wembanyama’s recent performance in an exhibition in Nevada is going to start a “race for the bottom” like we’ve never seen and half the league could up tanking at some point to increase their chances to land a guy who is 7-foot-4, can block shots, hit 3-pointers and handle the ball like a guard.

There are several teams including the Pacers, Pistons, Magic, Thunder, Jazz and Rockets who are pretty much tanking from the beginning and other teams will join if they see their season starting to go south.

This could lead to an unprecedented number of quality veteran players on the trade market as teams try to jettison talent in an effort to lose more games late in the season and give their young players more minutes.

Can I interest you in a Myles Turner or Buddy Hield? How about a lightly used Bojan Bogdanovic? Not only are there going to be a ton of players that hit the market, but the Pelicans will be in prime position as a team with young guys an assets they can move if they want to add an impact player to bolster their depth before the playoffs.

We’ll be cheering against the Lakers all season, hoping to turn their pick into another generational talent, but even if the Pels don’t luck out in the lottery, they could benefit from Wembanyama’s presence.