Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta may have just tipped everyone off about his plans for the 2023 NBA Draft (h/t Ben Dubose of Rockets Wire), with an emphatic “pray for Victor!” message when asked about his team during Galveston's Mardi Gras celebration.
Metropolitans 92 big man Victor Wembanyama is projected to be the first pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. While the NBA Draft Lottery lessens the chance that having the worst record in the NBA guarantees that a team will have that pick, and it's unlikely that any team will pass up the chance to draft Wembanyama.
Should the Rockets land the first overall pick and get their presumed target, the Rockets will have to make some interesting decisions. Starting center Alperen Sengun is a gifted offensive player that's now routinely being compared to Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic, even by the two-time MVP himself.
While Wembanyama is the better player, particularly due to his defensive prowess, Houston would likely prefer to keep Sengun and just add Wemby. Furthermore, considering the mobility and athleticism of the Wembanyama, it's easy to him playing power forward in the NBA.
That said, adding Wembanyama may lead to the demotion or trade of Jabari Smith Jr., the third overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Smith has largely struggled during his rookie season, shooting just 38.9 percent from the field and 30.3 percent from 3-point range.
He will likely improve as time goes on. Nonetheless, Houston could look to move on from him early, similar to how the Golden State Warriors did with James Wiseman.
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