LeBron James called Victor Wembanyama an “alien” after watching him play recently. Like many, James was blown away by the performance of a player some are calling the greatest prospect in basketball history.

Wembanyama played in a pair of Las Vegas exhibitions against the G League Ignite, and it is easy to see why some are already giving him that title. The 7-foot-4 center scored 73 points on 22-for-44 shooting with nine threes, 15 rebounds and nine blocked shots in the two games.

Wembanyama possesses a skillset unlike any prospect the league has seen. At 7'4″ with an eight-foot wingspan, the big man moves extremely well for his size, gliding up and down the court with incredible fluidity. Defensively, his mobility and freakish length allow him to make rotations and block shots with ease. Offensively, he can put the ball on the floor, pass, post up, knock down threes, and shoot from a variety of body angles.

All of this has NBA general managers clamoring at the prospect of drafting Wembanyama first overall. And the Frenchman is not the only can't-miss prospect in this draft. The G League Ignite's Scoot Henderson is a silky-smooth yet extremely explosive combo guard that presents one of the best consolation prizes in recent draft memory.

The tank race will be in full effect during the 2022-23 season. Several teams have already positioned themselves, and more will do so throughout the year if they struggle early. This development can benefit win-now teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat with tanking teams looking to shed valuable pieces to better their odds.

The Nets have needs they will be looking to fill via trade this season. Most notably, they need a floor-spacing center to play alongside Ben Simmons. Brooklyn has several valuable mid-sized contracts along with young prospects and a pair of future first-round picks to use in a deal. With that, we examine the teams that are tanking or may be joining the race soon, and trade candidates that could be of value to Brooklyn.

Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz are entering a full rebuild following the trades of Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell. Utah is left with a stockpile of picks and a roster that has them positioned to lead the race for Victor Wembanyama.

Team CEO Danny Ainge prioritized draft capital in the trades and still has several veteran pieces he could move in the coming months. With the Nets in need of a stretch five, the Jazz have several players that could pique their interest.

Utah acquired Lauri Markkanen from Cleveland in the Mitchell trade. The seven-footer averaged 14.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game last season and is entering his sixth year in the NBA. Markkanen would present a true floor-spacing big alongside Simmons, having average 37.7 percent from three on 6.0 attempts per game over his last two seasons. He is set to make $16.5 million this year. Brooklyn could package one of their mid-sized contracts with minimums and draft compensation to intrigue Utah.

Kelly Olynyk also came to the Jazz in the Bojan Bogdanović trade. The 31-year-old center is a 36.5 percent three-point shooter with playoff experience. Rudy Gay was productive in a small-ball five role for Utah last season and, at 36 years old, is likely to be traded or bought out. Both could be options for Brooklyn down the line with the Jazz likely prioritizing minutes for their young players.

San Antonio Spurs

The San Anotnio Spurs are in full-blown, in-your-face, everybody-knows-it tank mode ahead of the 2022-23 season. San Antonio traded its best player in Dejounte Murray for three first-round picks and will almost certainly finish in the bottom three this year. With the team a long way from contention, stacking as many draft picks as possible should be the focus.

Jakob Poeltl is a talented center coming off the best year of his career. Poeltl averaged 13.5 points and 9.3 rebounds (both career highs) while blocking 1.7 shots per game last season. With the 26-year-old on an expiring contract ($9.4M) and his value higher than ever, San Antonio should be highly motivated to find a trade. The big man is not a floor-spacer, limiting his value in terms of fit with Brooklyn, but he offers a durable option who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. Given Nic Claxton's injury history (79 games played in last two seasons), the need for a dependable center could present itself this season.

Zach Collins played in his first season with the Spurs last year after recovering from ankle surgery. The fourth-year big man averaged 7.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game on 34.1 percent shooting from three in 28 games. The 24-year-old is set to make $7.3 million and presents another stretch big who could become available.

Indiana Pacers

Following a season in which they finished 13th in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers need to determine a direction for the future of the franchise. Indiana has a talented young trio in Tyrese Haliburton, Chris Duarte and Bennedict Mathurin, but not much after that.

The team traded Malcolm Brogdon to Boston for picks this summer. Myles Turner and Buddy Hield present talented veterans who are unlikely to factor into the team's long-term plans. Both should be on the move if Indiana wants to recoup value/flirt with the tanking conversation.

Turner has been linked to Brooklyn in recent seasons and offers a fantastic fit alongside Simmons. The big man has a rare skillset as a rim protector and floor spacer, averaging 3.1 blocks per game while shooting 33.4 percent from three over his last two seasons. Turner is on a $17.5 million expiring deal and the Nets should have interest in the center down the line. General Manager Sean Marks could package Joe Harris with Cam Thomas/Day’Ron Sharpe and draft picks for the 26-year-old. Another package could center on Claxton and Seth Curry.

Charlotte Hornets

Charlotte has wasted away in NBA purgatory for the majority of the franchise's existence. The team has not made the playoffs in six years and has not made it past the first round since 2002. Since coming into the league in 1988, Charlotte ranks second to last in playoff wins with just 23. If a franchise has ever needed a once-in-a-lifetime prospect like Wembanyama, it's the Hornets.

Charlotte finished 10th in the East last season but lost their top scorer in Miles Bridges following domestic abuse charges. LaMelo Ball is an All-Star and future superstar of the league, but the roster quickly falls off after the 21-year-old. Gordon Hayward will turn 33 this season and struggled with injuries last year. Terry Rozier, Kelly Oubre and Mason Plumlee are the team's second, third and fourth-highest-paid players. Dennis Smith Jr. was their biggest free agent signing. All of this does little to inspire confidence that Charlotte will improve this year. If they struggle out of the gate, waiving the white flag for a shot at Wembanyama or Henderson makes a ton of sense.

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PJ Washington is entering his fourth year in the league and would offer a great fit with the Nets as a small-ball five. The Kentucky product has been productive in the role with Charlotte, averaging 11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds per game on 37.5 percent shooting from three over three seasons. At 6'7″, 230-pounds, Washington has the strength to bang on the boards and the shooting to space the floor at the five.

The Hornets selected Mark Williams 15th overall in this year's draft as a lob threat to pair with Ball. With Washington a restricted free agent next summer, Charlotte could look to move him for value if they struggle. The 24-year-old makes just $5.8 million in 2022-23 and should be on Brooklyn's radar as the season progresses.

Orlando Magic

Orlando should be trying to improve this season after drafting Paolo Banchero number one in this year's draft. The signing of veteran guard Gary Harris to a two-year, $26 million signals a competitive approach in 2022-23. However, with a prospect like Wembanyama out there and a young team, all bets are off as the season progresses.

Regardless, Mo Bamba is a name that could be on the move this season, and a recent report citing several league executives identified the Nets as a potential destination. Bamba is coming off a breakout season in which he averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game on 38.1 percent shooting from three. He re-signed with Orlando on a two-year, $20.6 million contract this summer. Despite this, the Magic also signed Wendell Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million deal and have him ahead of Bamba in the rotation.

If Bamba continues his high-level two-way play he will be a hot commodity on the trade market toward the deadline. Brooklyn should have serious interest in the big man if he becomes available.

The prospect of landing Wembanyama will trigger a tank race unlike any we have seen in recent years. With the Nets in a win-now season with roster holes to fill, expect Marks to be active canvassing the league for teams looking to shed valuable pieces.