NBA Scout: Victor Wembanyama Projected to Add $500M in Franchise Value

Assuming Victor Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft, the 19-year-old is projected to be worth almost 16 times the value to the franchise as he will earn in guaranteed money from his rookie contract.

Per HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, one scout estimated Wembanyama is "projected to add half a billion dollars in franchise value" to the team that drafts him.

The scout cited Wembanyama's name recognition based on how prevalent his highlights have been on social media and that networks, including ESPN and NBA Network, have aired multiple games he's played with his current club as major factors contributing to his value.

"He's got more hype than LeBron James did because of social media," the scout told Scotto. "LeBron had a couple of games on ESPN, but outside of that, the public hadn't really seen him. With Wembanyama, you're seeing him on Twitter, and the NBA already had his games being broadcasted on the NBA app."

Per RealGM, assuming Wembanyama is the No. 1 pick, the first three years of his rookie contract will be worth $31.45 million. He will have a lot more money in his account through endorsement deals.

Wembanyama's agents told ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Jonathan Givony in February they anticipate he could end up with endorsement contracts worth around $100 million.

Bouna Ndiaye, one of the agents representing the French superstar, said to Windhorst and Givony they have been turning down deals already because Wembanyama's primary focus right now is on basketball, but when he does sign, they want to make him "rare" by not having dozens of different partners.

"We don't want him all over the place," Nidaye said. "We don't want to have 20 partners. That doesn't make him a known basketball player. Victor says, 'You want to be the best.' When you want to be the best, you have to focus on basketball."

Wembanyama has been declared the best draft prospect since LeBron James. He's been a highlight machine, whether it's getting a putback dunk off his own missed three-pointer or scoring 37 points on 7-of-11 three-point shooting against fellow top prospect Scoot Henderson.

Teams in the draft lottery should be doing all of the magic tricks they can think of to land the No. 1 pick to select Wembanyama. Not only would they be getting one of the most talented prospects ever, but he's a player who immediately increases the brand recognition of the franchise he goes to exponentially.