The 2023 Draft Night Will Be Crazy

The 2023 NBA Draft will start off as many expect it to, with Victor Wembanyama going first overall to the San Antonio Spurs. Wembanyama has been a top European talent ever since last year when he got more and more recognition for his body type AND the skills he brings with it. Standing at 7 foot 5 (226 cm), he can score from virtually anywhere on the floor by either using his size or impressive handles. Additionally he is a rim protector that the SPurs desperately need after they traded Jakob Poeltl in the trade deadline.

Wemby currently plays in the LNB Pro A, the french professional basketball league, for Metropolitans 92. This season is managed to put up an impressive statline of:
21.6 ppg/ 10.4 rpg/ 3.0 bpg.

But enough about the best prospect since Zion Williamson in 2019. We're here to talk about the potential trades that could shake up the 2023 NBA draft. Teams like the Rockets and Trail Blazers are looking to win championships sooner rather than building.

Rockets - Raptors trade

Let's start with the Rockets as they stand with the 4th pick in the draft. The Raptors have only made 1 playoff appearance since their championship year in 2019, and got ejected in the first round when they did. The team is looking to rebuild, starting with not resigning Toronto legend Fred Van Vleet. On the other end, there are many rumors of the Rockets acquiring James Harden in the off-season to join forces with head coach Ime Udoka. Houston has the managerial part down, now it's about getting the players. If they aim to sign Harden, he will need a backup player, a star player who can be his number 1 or 2. It is possible that the Rockets trade their 4th pick, a 2024 first round pick and Jabari Smith Jr. for Pascal Siakam. By doing so, the Raptors get the possibility to get a player in this stacked draft class, a rookie in Jabari Smith Jr. and a future pick in exchange for their aging star.

In our opinion this looks like a good trade for both teams. The Raptors are far from making another playoff run, and if they do they have a very low chance of making it out of the first round. Additionally, Nick Nurse was fired from the head coach position which shows that they are set on rebuilding.

Trail Blazers - Pelicans trade

The Trail Blazers have the 3rd pick in this year's draft, and after many years of disappointment since the bubble, Damian Lillard is looking to win now. Having made plenty of smart drafts in Shaedon Sharpe and Anfernee Simons, the team is almost complete. Many are looking towards Jusuf Nurkic and a replacement since his many injuries.

On the other hand the Pelicans are now in a PR disaster after the Zion fiasco about a week ago (Bobby Schmurda). In addition, the new cap room change in this off-season will mean that the Pels will have two separate themselves from one of their stars. Between Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, there is no easy choice to make. Ingram is a rising talent as well as having cemented himself as one of the best scorers in the league. On the other hand, Zion has a far higher ceiling and is set to be an all time player in the NBA, if he doesn't keep on getting injured.

Many would enjoy the trade, seeing Zion and Dame teaming up in Portland to potentially win a championship, or at least make a run for it. In exchange for Zion, the Pels would of course get the 3rd pick in the draft, where they could acquire Scoot Henderson in their backcourt. The Pels wouldn't only get the 3rd pick though, the Blazers would have to sacrifice a lot more. This would mean potentially trading Anfernee Simons and maybe another role player to round up the value of the trade.

Recap

Overall this Draft night is bound to be an interesting one, as many teams find themselves with high draft picks, but a need to win as soon as possible.