The most anticipated NBA draft lottery in 20 years ended with Victor Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4 French unicorn that NBA scouts have been salivating over for two years, heading to San Antonio. The Spurs secured the first pick in the draft with the Charlotte Hornets, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets rounding out the top four.

For the 13th straight year, the Brooklyn Nets found themselves without a lottery pick. However, Tuesday's results yielded a positive outcome for Brooklyn. Here are three reasons why:

3. Rockets pick swaps less likely to convey

All signs point towards Houston making an aggressive push to improve next season. From hiring Ime Udoka to reports of heavy interest in a reunion with James Harden, the Rockets are looking to turn the page from the tank fest of their last two seasons. Those plans took a hit when they whiffed on Wembanyama and fell to number four.

That should be a welcome sight for Nets fans given Houston holds the right to swap first-round picks with Brooklyn in 2025 and 2027 via the Harden trade. Landing a once-in-a-lifetime prospect like Victor Wembanyama would have made it far more likely that those swaps convey. Houston now appears to be gauging the market for the fourth pick in an attempt to land a win-now piece:

“With Houston preparing to make an aggressive push to sign James Harden this summer, rival NBA executives believe this pick will be used as trade bait as the Rockets look to take a significant step forward next season,” said Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

However, with a considerable drop-off after the top three in this year's draft, the return for number four will pale in comparison to what San Antonio, Charlotte and Portland come away with. That's a subtle victory for Brooklyn's draft stock moving forward.

2. More Portland trade possibilities emerge

Portland reaped the benefits of their late-season tank by securing the third pick in the draft. That development adds interesting possibilities for the Nets as a potential trade partner this summer. The Blazers  have been linked to Brooklyn as a suitor for Damian Lillard in recent weeks. However, Portland general manager Joe Cronin was adamant Tuesday that he will continue to build around the 32-year-old:

“We're a team that's trying to win and trying to maximize Damian’s timeline,” he told Yahoo Sports. “This was an important night for us.”

Whether Portland remains committed to that course remains to be seen. If they do, it opens another door for Brooklyn to benefit. Bleacher Report's Chris Haynes reported Wednesday that the Blazers are expected to shop the third pick in return for a win-now piece alongside Lillard:

“Portland, in an effort to continue building a contending roster around its star Damian Lillard, is expected to make the pick available for a trade,” he said. “The franchise is in the process of evaluating the market for the No. 3 pick as well as examining incoming rookie prospects that are attainable at No. 3, sources say.”

If Portland is canvassing the market for a needle-mover to appease Lillard, Mikal Bridges will be near the top of the list. The 26-year-old was among the most efficient scorers in the league following his midseason trade to Brooklyn, averaging 27.7 points on 47/38/89 shooting splits. Lillard has not been shy about his affinity for Bridges, calling him “his favorite small forward in the league” in 2021 and identifying him as a player he feels would be a great fit in Portland ahead of this season.

Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks has indicated he intends to build around Bridges after acquiring him for Kevin Durant. However, a return of Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller with the third pick plus other sweeteners should pique his interest.

1. Victor Wembanyama stays out of Eastern Conference

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Above all else, Wembanyama landing in the Western Conference will save Brooklyn years of playoff headaches. The French phenom is the highest-rated prospect since LeBron James, with some ranking him even higher. During 31 games this season in France's pro league, the 19-year-old averaged 21.5 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 3.0 blocks.

Standing 7-foot-4 with a near 8-foot wingspan, Wembanyama is an offensive unicorn. He can post up, handle the ball in transition or the halfcourt, and shoot from all areas on the floor. Defensively, he is a menace around the rim, blocking twice as many shots as any player in the French League in 2022-23. He glides across the floor with ease while closing out to shooters or making weakside rotations to snuff drivers and rolling big men.

The surefire number-one pick's freakish length and athleticism allow him to make plays that leave even the most talented NBA players speechless:

Overall, Victor Wembanyama will be out of sight and out of mind for Brooklyn's foreseeable playoff future barring a finals matchup. The Nets can rejoice as the Frenchmen packs his bags for San Antonio.