The Boston Celtics (20-5) are atop the Eastern Conference, while the Phoenix Suns (16-8) have the best record right now in the Western Conference. This season there will be more eyes on what teams are the worst in the NBA with the loaded draft class entering the league in June, led by generational talent Victor Wembanyama.
It’s still a long NBA season and plenty can happen, but whether it’s through a rebuild process with a young team, injuries or off-loading franchise talent this past summer, there are a handful of teams already in good position to land a 14% chance of getting the No. 1 pick on draft lottery night on May 16.
As the race to the bottom starts, Yahoo Sports takes a look at seven teams that could land Wembanyama next June and how they started the season.
(Records through Dec. 5 games; odds to land No. 1 pick from Tankathon.)
How is the race for the 2023 NBA draft’s No. 1 pick and the right to select Victor Wembanyama shaping up more than a quarter of the way through the 2022-23 NBA season? (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
Current record: 5-20
Odds to land No. 1 pick: 14%
The Magic are in rebuild mode. They had the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, picking former Duke forward Paolo Banchero. The year before, they added point guard Jalen Suggs with the No. 5 pick and wing Franz Wagner at No. 8. They haven’t had a winning season since 2018-19.
The Magic might not be winning a lot of games, but they are a fun team to watch with a starting lineup of 7-foot-2 Bol Bol, 6-11 Mo Wagner, 6-10 Banchero, 6-10 Franz Wagner and 6-4 Markelle Fultz. Possibly adding 7-4 Wembanyama to this young team would be a dream scenario. The size and length would be unmatched in the Eastern Conference.
The Magic are 1-10 in their past 11 outings and currently have six players out with injuries: Suggs (ankle), Gary Harris (hamstring), Chuma Okeke (knee), Mo Bamba (back), Wendell Carter Jr. (foot) and Jonathan Isaac (knee).
Current record: 6-19
Odds to land No. 1 pick: 14%
The Pistons are rebuilding around 2021 No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham and added a talented guard to play alongside him in the backcourt with the No. 5 pick of the 2022 draft,…
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