Metropolitan 92’s French power forward Victor Wembanyama (C) fights for the ball during the French Elite basketball match between Boulogne-Levallois Metropolitans 92 and Bourg-en-Bresse at The AccorHotels Arena in Paris on May 7, 2023. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)
French sensation Victor Wembanyama will not attend the NBA Draft Combine later this month because his season is still in progress back at home.
On Tuesday night the NBA released a list of 78 prospects who will attend the combine May 15-21 in Chicago, and Wembanyama’s name did not appear.
Wembanyama’s current team, Metropolitans 92, play in the highest tier of French basketball. The 7-foot-2 forward/center is averaging 21.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per contest in 31 games for them this season.
That means Wembanyama will still be overseas when the draft lottery is held on May 16 in Chicago — deciding which team wins the sweepstakes to select the generational talent.
The combine will welcome most other top-end draft prospects, including projected lottery picks Scoot Henderson (G League Ignite), brothers Amen and Ausar Thompson (Overtime Elite), Brandon Miller (Alabama), Jarace Walker (Houston) and Cam Whitmore (Villanova).
The league will also select an undetermined number of top players from the NBA G League Elite Camp, held May 13-14 in Chicago, and invite them to the main event.