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2023 NBA Draft: 8 teams competing for Victor Wembanyama

By Peter O'Keefe

ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne's French player Victor Wembanyama trains prior to the Euroleague basketball match between ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne and Zalgiris Kaunas at the Astroballe arena in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, on October 1, 2021. (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP via Getty Images)
ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne's French player Victor Wembanyama trains prior to the Euroleague basketball match between ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne and Zalgiris Kaunas at the Astroballe arena in Villeurbanne, near Lyon, on October 1, 2021. (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP) (Photo by PHILIPPE DESMAZES/AFP via Getty Images) /
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2023 NBA Draft: 8 teams competing for Victor Wembanyama:
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – JANUARY 23: LaMelo Ball #2 of the Charlotte Hornets reacts after being called for a technical foul in the third quarter during their game against the Atlanta Hawks at Spectrum Center on January 23, 2022 in Charlotte, North Carolina, 2023 NBA Draft: 8 teams competing for Victor Wembanyama:. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

Similar to the Western Conference, the East has a number of teams that could aim to conclude their rebuild with one final major play.

2023 NBA Draft: 8 teams competing for Victor Wembanyama: Charlotte Hornets

LaMelo Ball may be good enough to win 30+ games of his own accord, but pairing him with Wenbanyama would be the ideal result moving forward. The Hornets have had quite the tumultuous offseason – Kenny Atkinson turned his back on the head coaching job before they brought back an old face in Steve Clifford.

Miles Bridges finds his NBA future in a perilous position, with the very real possibility that he’s Charlotte let him go after domestic violence issues. Add that with the ongoing injury issues of Gordon Hayward and this once talent-laden Hornets roster all of a sudden looks run-of-the-mill outside Ball.

Wembanyama could re-energize the franchise in much the same way Ball did after being taken with the third pick in the 2020 draft.

2023 NBA Draft: 8 teams competing for Victor Wembanyama: Detroit Pistons

The Pistons had a fantastic draft on early reflections, securing Jaden Ivery and Jalen Duren to go with last year’s number one overall pick, Cade Cunningham. Cunningham’s late-season form was spectacular, penciling him as a player to watch going into next season.

With a stack of salary cap space, Detroit did have the chance to build around him immediately with someone like DeAndre Ayton. Instead, the Pistons have used that space to absorb player contracts from the New York Knicks while acquiring further draft capital.

They also moved on from Jerami Grant after agreeing to a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers. All in all, Detroit’s offseason moves show they’ll remain a bottom team in the East for at least one more year.

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