San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama, the No. 1 draft pick, handles a ball during an NBA basketball press conference, Saturday, June 24, 2023, at the AT&T Center in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)
Prized NBA top draft pick Victor Wembanyama’s first appearance in a San Antonio Spurs uniform could come in Las Vegas, after the team announced Wednesday he won’t travel to Summer League games in Sacramento, California.
In a brief statement outlining media availabilities for Summer League games, the Spurs said the French prodigy would join the team in Las Vegas, where they are scheduled to play the Charlotte Hornets on July 7 and the Portland Trail Blazers on July 9.
That raises the prospect of Wembanyama matching up against second overall draft pick Brandon Miller of the Hornets and Portland’s third overall selection Scoot Henderson.
The Vegas trip comes after the Spurs play two Summer League games in Sacramento, against the Hornets on Monday and the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.
Wembanyama, 19, arrived in the NBA on Thursday as the most coveted number one draft pick since LeBron James in 2003.
After the draft, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said the team planned for Wembanyama to play in Summer League games, but how much time he would spend on the floor was still to be determined.
Wembanyama has just completed a full French League season and this week said he wouldn’t take part in the FIBA World Cup for France starting in late August so he could focus on preparing for his rookie NBA campaign.
He will join the Spurs for Summer League training in San Antonio this week before the team departs for Sacramento on Saturday, the Spurs said.