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Victor Wembanyama declares for the 2023 NBA Draft: How could he end up in Dallas?

Noah Weber
Noah Weber

The Smoking Cuban

2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama / Aurelien Meunier/GettyImages

French prospect Victor Wembanyama officially declared for the 2023 NBA Draft on Friday's episode of ESPN's NBA Today. It was expected, but the anticipation of the draft lottery is rising as every team dreams of landing the most-hyped prospect since LeBron James in 2003. 

He is arguably the best NBA prospect of all time and will have the chance to dramatically change the course of whichever team drafts him. Wembanyama is at the top of every draft board right now, and his next team will practically be decided on May 16 through the NBA Draft Lottery.

The team that lands the number one pick on that Tuesday night will likely take Wembanyama and have their center of the future. He's a generational talent and has the chance to be an all-time great.

How could Victor Wembanyama end up on the Dallas Mavericks?

The Dallas Mavericks need a center more than any other team in the NBA. They've had poor rim protection for years and need someone to step in and fill that role of being a shot-blocking big.

The perfect prospect to come in and do that instantly is Wembanyama. He is 7'5 and has an eight-foot wingspan. He will be one of the tallest players in the NBA and will have the largest wingspan when he is drafted on June 22. 

Dallas also is prioritizing making Luka Doncic happy this offseason as rumbles of trade rumors were circulating around the Slovenian superstar towards the end of last season. What would make him happier than drafting a 7'5 big that can practically do everything on the basketball court? Probably nothing, but the odds of Dallas acquiring the first overall pick are slim.

Dallas has a 3.0 percent chance of landing the first overall pick and winning the Wembanyama sweepstakes. It will be a nervous lottery night for the Mavericks as they have just a 79.8 percent chance of keeping their top ten protected pick, which will only add to the drama.

Stay tuned to see if the Dallas Mavericks move up in the lottery and get the chance to draft the best big man prospect that the league has ever seen.

Noah Weber

Noah Weber

Noah Weber is the Site Expert for The Smoking Cuban, covering the Dallas Mavericks as a credentialed media member since the 2022-23 season. With a Bachelor of Science in Sports Media from Oklahoma State University, Noah has worked in sports journalism since 2019. While he's covered the Dallas Cowboys and Oklahoma State Cowboys, he has now established himself as a go-to voice for Mavericks coverage. Noah's expertise includes in-depth game analysis, social media content creation, and offering unique perspectives through his reporting. His work has been featured on major platforms such as ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Overtime. During his time at Oklahoma State, Noah won first place in the Oklahoma Broadcast Education Association Awards for a show he co-produced. Outside of covering the Mavs, Noah enjoys working out, playing basketball and Spikeball, and spending quality time with friends and family.