Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery couldn’t be much better for Victor Wimpanyama.
The 7-foot-4 French phenom, who is a lock to finish first overall in the 2023 NBA Draft, must have been thrilled when the San Antonio Spurs won the lottery for the first overall pick. Not only would Wimpanyama land in the perfect position to grow their game under legendary coach Gregg Popovich, but he also saved millions of dollars thanks to some ping pong balls.
Spurs land Victor Wimpanyama in the NBA lottery
Victor Wimpanyama, You are a resident of the San Antonio Spur.
Well, not yet, officially at least. But we’ve known Wimpanyama would be the first pick in the 2023 NBA draft for a while now, and the Spurs were lucky enough to have ping-pong balls bounced their way on Tuesday night.
Wembanyama has been ranked as the most admired player in the NBA since LeBron James. The 19-year-old is three inches taller than Rudy Gobert, yet can shoot and handle the ball like a keeper. On the defensive end, he’s a one-man wrecking crew thanks to his 8-foot wingspan and elite speed and anticipation.
In 34 games with the Metropolitans 92 this season, Wimpanyama has averaged 21.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots per game. Shoot 47% from the court, 27.5% from three, and 80.9% from the free throw line (basketball reference). This is not to be missed as it comes unmissable vistas.
If you didn’t realize how important the 2023 NBA Draft Lottery is to the league, the Spurs Partner Manager Peter Holt’s animated reaction To win pick #1 has to tell you everything you need to know.
Victor Wimpanyama will save millions of dollars with Tottenham
If Wimpanyama had been given a choice between the Spurs, Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers before the NBA lottery, he probably would have chosen San Antonio in a heartbeat. Gregg Popovich can fill a hand full with his five championship rings, and legendary men David Robinson and Tim Duncan have gone on to have Hall of-Fame careers after being inducted by the Spurs first overall.
This is an ideal landing spot for a potential star, but it’s not just on the basketball side of things.
By landing in Texas, which has no individual income tax, Wembanyama would save millions of dollars on his rookie contract alone. A striker still has to pay play tax on road games he plays in other states, but those games make up only half of his 82-game schedule. This means that at least 41 Wimpanyama’s match checks will not be taxed for each season he plays for Tottenham.
Paolo Panchero, who finished first overall in the 2022 NBA draft, has signed a four-year, $50.2 million rookie contract. Wembanyama’s upstart deal will look similar, but if he lives up to his lofty expectations, his first extension with San Antonio could be worth more than $60 million annually. This is when the no jock tax in Texas really helps.
The Spurs literally hit the lottery on Tuesday night, and so did Wembanyama.
