From left to right, San Antonio Spurs Jeremy Sochan, Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson pose for reporters at the team’s recent media day. Credit: Michael Karlis

San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama has clearly impressed the NBA’s general managers, who gave the No. 1 draft pick top marks in a survey published Tuesday.

The annual survey asks the NBA’s 30 general managers to respond to 50 questions ranking the league’s best teams, players and coaches. It also seeks their opinions on which franchises made the best off-season moves.

There’s a catch, though: GMs can’t vote for their own teams or players.

Despite sports betters questioning Wembanyama’s ability to snag the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award,  half of the GMs said they’re convinced the French phenom will win. Portland Trailblazer Scoot Henderson took the No. 2 spot, garnering 27% of the vote.

The GMs’ love affair with the 7-foot-3 Spur didn’t stop there. Nine out of 10 said think he’ll emerge as the league’s best player in the next five years.

Although a solid majority of GMs appear to have Wemby Fever, they’re less bullish on the Silver and Black overall. None of the respondents predicted the Spurs will snatch a spot in the play-in tournament. What’s more, not a single one considers San Antonio among the three teams with the most promising young cores.

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This article appears in Oct 4-17, 2023.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...