4 Teams that can land Wembanyama without winning the NBA draft lottery

NBA Team #4: Utah Jazz

Of the four teams on this list, Utah needs the services of Wembanyama the most. While the Thunder, Knicks, and Spurs are far from world-beaters, they still have several talented young players. The Jazz have several veterans stranded until they get moved and a bunch of young players who may or may not turn into anything.

Meanwhile, the Spurs have Keldon Johnson and Devin Vassell, two players that are already above average and have the potential to be very good. Fortunately, the Jazz have positioned themselves to get Rudy Gobert 3.0 by trading the original model for three firsts and two pick swaps. They also got three more firsts from Cleveland for Donovan Mitchell.

Factor in that they’re likely to be one of the three worst teams already, and that they now have a dozen future first-round picks to trade, and the Jazz’s chances are as good as anyone’s. Much like with the Spurs, the second pick in this year’s draft and four future firsts, or the third pick and six future picks, might be enough to convince the team holding the top selection to trade back. It’s a lot to give up but Wembanyama could end up being the player that delivers a title to Utah. They have to at least try.

Ultimately, only one team will end up with the generational prospect. That said, they’ll have some tough decisions to make if and when at least three of these teams are offered a trade package that they really shouldn’t refuse.