SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday announced that top overall NBA Draft pick Victor Wembanyama will not travel to Sacramento, but instead will make his summer debut in the Las Vegas Summer League.
The San Antonio Spurs are scheduled to begin playing in the California Classic in Sacramento on July 3, but it’s official that Wemby now won’t attend. He’s expected to begin practicing with the Spurs summer squad later this week.
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Wembanyama, 19, is the third No. 1 overall pick in the team’s history, joining franchise cornerstone and NBA legend Tim Duncan and center David “The Admiral” Robinson, both Hall of Famers.
Summer League in Las Vegas runs from July 7-17, and Wembanyama and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of Charlotte are scheduled to go head-to-head on the first day -- as the NBA has San Antonio playing Charlotte July 7, on opening day. The game would technically be a summer rematch, as the teams are playing in Sacramento on July 3, but now Wemby won’t take part in that game.
In Las Vegas, San Antonio later plays Portland on July 9. That would be a potential meeting between Wembanyama and No. 3 overall pick, point guard Scoot Henderson. This past fall they previously played near Vegas during exhibitions between Wembanyama’s French team and Henderson’s G League Ignite.
The Spurs on Monday announced their home game preseason schedule. In addition to the Miami Heat on Oct. 13, the Spurs will host intra-state rival Houston Rockets on Oct. 16 and Oct. 18.
Wembanyama told the L’Equipe newspaper that he won’t play with his national basketball team at this year’s World Cup, which runs from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10.
“I’ve decided to dedicate this summer to preparing my body for the many events awaiting it in the coming years,” he said. “This meant skipping the World Cup. It was a difficult decision, and one that required the advice of many people. But I sincerely believe it’s the best one for the French team and myself.”
He had said previously he wanted to play in the tournament.
The Spurs in recent seasons have failed to make the playoffs, missing out on the last four after matching a league record of 22 straight playoff appearances. It’s the longest drought in the franchise’s 50-year history. As the most highly touted prospect since LeBron James, the expectation is that Wembanyama can help lead them back to the postseason.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.