The 2023 NBA Draft is officially in the history books, and all 58 players selected will be hoping to have successful careers in the league.
Victor Wembanyama was drafted as the number one pick by the San Antonio Spurs, while being followed by Brandon Miller who was picked at number two by the Charlotte Hornets. At three was Scoot Henderson, who was another of the top prospects entering this year’s draft.
The majority of the 58 players selected at the NBA Draft will be looking to take part in the Summer League in Las Vegas this July. From there, the work will begin looking ahead to the 2023/24 season which begins in October.
As a result of the draft, all 30 teams in the NBA will have a greater idea of what their rosters will look like going into the new season. Some will be hopeful of enjoying a better campaign than the last, while others may be left with some work still to do during free agency.
Here, the Mirror takes a look at which teams were the winners and losers on the back of the 2023 NBA Draft.
Winners - San Antonio Spurs
It’s difficult to list the biggest winners from this year’s draft and not include the Spurs.
After selecting one of the brightest prospects to enter the league for many a year in Wembanyama, there is expectation that the Texas franchise has a player that could be one of the biggest stars of the league in the near future.
Wembanyama will need to adjust to playing in the NBA, of course, but his interviews before the draft suggest that he is fully aware of the challenges that await him.
Winners - Portland Trail Blazers
Even though the draft was about selecting the next generation of stars, for the Blazers the build-up was dominated by the future of current superstar Damian Lillard. There has been talk that he could be traded, but as things stand after the draft he will still be in Oregon going into 2023/24.
After drafting Henderson, the Blazers now have another point guard in their ranks that could be a star for the future. And if Lillard stays in Portland, Henderson will have the chance to work alongside one of the best to represent the franchise.
But it remains to be seen if Lillard feels he still has a future with Portland, and whether the organisation views Henderson as a teammate or a replacement.
Losers - Charlotte Hornets
It’s not very often that a team picking second in the draft results in their fans being unhappy, but it appears that was the case for the Hornets.
Videos emerged on social media showing some Hornets fans unhappy after it was announced that Miller had been selected over Henderson, with many expecting the G League Ignite guard to be selected at number two.
Even though Wembanyama has drawn plenty of attention for his potential and all-round ability, there has also been excitement around Miller, too, who is likely to go on and have a very successful career in the NBA and in North Carolina.
But for the Hornets, the organisation is going to have to show improvement on the court if they are to appease any potentially remaining disgruntled fans.
Losers - New York Knicks
The Knicks did not select a single player in this year’s draft, having traded their first-rounder to the Blazers following the deal to sign Josh Hart in February.
Reaching the Eastern Conference semi-final was considered acceptable by the majority of those connected with the franchise, but not drafting any new players will make the off-season workload even more intense.
With free agency fast approaching and contract options still to be sorted out, the Knicks have their work cut out to get the preparations right in a bid to go even further in the NBA playoffs in 2023/24.
