Victor Wembanyama had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NBA history and Paul George was certainly impressed by what he saw. On Podcast P with Paul George, the Los Angeles Clippers star stated that Wembanyama’s play toward the end of the season should have scared the entire NBA.
“The way he finished the year, I think it’s scary for the league,” George said. “Because I think the way he finished the year was the momentum he needed going into the summer. It’s just the personnel is not ready for all that he brings and his talents.”
“Say, you had like a (Chris Paul) or a (Rajon) Rondo, those guys that just know basketball and know that this motherf***** is 7’5″ like, ‘Wemby go right there, I’mma throw this s*** as high as I can. Go catch and dunk it.’ Somebody that sit down and just explain the game to him like this,” George continued. “If they front you, just spin, that ball going to be there. He don’t have that type of personnel around him to do that.”
Well, Rajon Rondo has retired, but the San Antonio Spurs could potentially land Chris Paul. Paul has a team option worth $30 million for 2024-25 and the Golden State Warriors are not expected to pick it up. They might trade him before the June 28 deadline or let him walk in free agency.
The presence of a pure point guard like Paul on the team could certainly help Wembanyama, who shone as a rookie despite not being in a great situation. The 20-year-old averaged 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.2 steals, and 3.6 blocks per game in the 2023-24 season to win ROY and finish runner-up for DPOY.
Over his final 10 games of the season, Wembanyama averaged a ridiculous 26.1 points, 12.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 4.1 blocks. During that stretch, he had a 40-point, 20-rebound outing against the New York Knicks and a 30-point double-double against the Denver Nuggets. Simply put, he was spectacular.
Provided Wembanyama stays healthy, we might witness a fair few nights like those next season, especially if the Spurs can surround him with some more talent. Fortunately for them, it doesn’t look like they’ll struggle to get players to come to San Antonio, thanks to the Frenchman.
Every Free Agent And Veteran Guard Reportedly Wants To Play With Victor Wembanyama
Despite the success the Spurs had in the Tim Duncan era, San Antonio was never really a premier destination for free agents. That appears to have changed now despite the team finishing just 22-60 last season, as NBA Draft expert Jonathan Givony revealed that every free agent and veteran guard on the market wants to play with Wembanyama.
“Every free agent, all the veteran guards that are going to be in the market, they all want to play with Victor,” Givony said on The Ringer’s NBA Draft Show.
Wembanyama has the potential to go down as one of the all-time greats, so you can’t fault anyone for wanting to play with him. George wants the Spurs to get a “dynamic 4 or 5” next to him who can guard centers and stretch the floor. I don’t see anyone of note of that profile in the market this time around, but they could trade for someone.
A report indicated the Spurs are ready to win now with Wembanyama, so you can expect them to be aggressive this offseason. They have close to $20 million in cap space to spend on free agents and two of the top 10 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft (4 and 8), which they could use in trades.
