Victor Wembanyama is not attending the 2023 NBA Draft Combine. The 7-foot-2 unanimous number 1 pick cannot attend the event from May 16th to 18th at Wintrust Arena in Chicago because of his commitment to the French League, LNB Pro A.
On the official list published by the NBA, many notable college and amateur athletes have confirmed their intention to join the the event. Highly scouted prospects like Purdue's National Player of the Year Zach Edey, Alabama's Brandon Miller, and 2023 National Champion UConn's Jordan Hawkins are just some names taking flights to Chicago. This is not the first time a top pick is not attending the said event, though.
Here is the full combine list, per the NBA. Note that Victor Wembanyama is not participating, with his season still in progress in France. pic.twitter.com/ddPGSkeQFg
— Jeremy Woo (@JeremyWoo) May 9, 2023
This is not the first time that a lottery pick did not attend the combine. In the 2016 Draft Combine, Ben Simmons also did not go but was still taken first overall by the Philadelphia 76ers. For the coming years, prospects such as Lonzo Ball, Markelle Fultz, and Josh Jackson also were not in attendance despite their high rankings on the draft boards.
Victor Wembanyama's non-attendance will surely be the last time that draft aspirants fail to attend the pre-draft activities as the NBA has announced that they will require it moving forward. Starting in 2024, players that want to keep their draft eligibility must undergo the three-day process in order to test their skills in multiple facets of the game.
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