San Antonio Spurs rookie forward-center Victor Wembanyama can add a new nickname to his epithets:
“Victor GM-banyama.”
Spurs to Give Victor Wembanyama Major Offseason Role
On Thursday, Wembanyama continued to discuss his long view of the franchise’s outlook. Due to his stature, impact, and the organization’s general fondness for him, he was asked about his involvement with the team’s decision-makers as they head into another pivotal offseason.
“It’s a lot of communication with the coaches and the front office,” Wembanyama says, “to know where we’re comfortable with each other in the game —and where we’re not comfortable —to know what kind of pieces we would need to add” (h/t Matthew Tynan of Corporate Knowledge).
“It’s a lot of discussion,” Wembanyama reiterates. “… The [general manager], the front office, they know their job. They can do almost anything with what we got today. But it’s a matter of how well they understand us —the players and the coaches —about where we want to go and how we want to develop.”
When asked if he believes everyone in the organization was on the same page, Wembanyama affirmed that’s the case.
“Oh yeah,” he says. “Yeah. And this is the good thing. I feel like there’s no internal fights between us. So it is good, it’s the right way for the future.”
Popovich has been the president of the Spurs since 2002. He previously held the titles of general manager and vice president, which he attained in 1994. Spurs CEO, RC Buford, has been with the organization since 1994 as well. In that time, he’s held roles as head scout, assistant general manager, and general manager. With those two men at the helm, the Spurs have won five NBA championships.
So, as Wembanyama said, their lead decision-makers know what they’re doing.
Building Around Wemby
Last summer, the Spurs made the fateful decision to draft Wembanyama.
While Wembanyama may have seemed like a shoo-in for the No. 1 pick, the big man had many doubters. Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson, selected No. 2 and No. 3 in the 2023 NBA Draft, were also in contention to be the top pick. With Wembanyama already breaking box score records monthly, it appears that the Spurs chose the right prospect.
This offseason, the Spurs will have at least one lottery pick. They’ll have their own, which is currently slotted at No. 3. They could also have the Toronto Raptors’ lottery pick. The Raptors pick is top-6 protected but currently slotted at No. 7.
With those selections and solid talent around Wemby, San Antonio could try to speed up their timeline with a star-level acquisition. They could also stay the course, drafting the point guard Wembanyama has sorely needed. The Spurs would also benefit from improved perimeter defense.
In the 2024 NBA Draft, that could lead them to select anyone from Serbian point guard Nikola Topic to Ignite forwards Ron Holland and Matas Buzelis. Should they try to expedite their rebuild, a player such as Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young may be of interest to them.
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