If you opened up this article and wondered whether it was way too soon to think about the 2023 draft, well, you’re not wrong. But on the heels of what just happened, in lieu of an overly speculative mock draft, let’s cast a quick eye toward next year, with a promising draft class on the horizon and several top prospects we’ve covered already here at SI.

Here’s a closer look at some of the top names to know in 2023:

The 2023 Draft’s Top Prize: France’s Victor Wembanyama

The pending arrival of 7'3" French teenager Wembanyama has gathered as much steam in the NBA community as any prospect since LeBron James. Here’s what I wrote about him last month:

“Barring injury or any unexpected plot twists, Wembanyama will begin his draft cycle billed as a true consensus No. 1 prospect and will presumably hold that spot until draft night. Gifted with incredible size, length, mobility and skill, Wembanyama has already attained the type of lofty prospect status we haven’t seen in quite some time.

“It’s hard to make direct comparisons with Wembanyama’s game because there’s never been a prospect quite like him, but he has the defensive chops to be a Rudy Gobert-like rim protector, and there are moments on offense where he moves like Kevin Durant. He’s huge and nimble, he can handle and shoot, and his frame is still maturing. At 7'3" and 240 pounds with a 7'9" wingspan, he averaged 16 points, 8.9 rebounds, 3.6 blocks and 1.2 steals per 36 minutes this year as an 18-year-old in France. And he’s played a real role for French club ASVEL, which also plays in the Euroleague and is owned by Spurs legend Tony Parker.

“Were he eligible, Wembanyama would be the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft, and it’s not a stretch to posit that he would likely have rated as the top prospect in any draft in the past decade, dating back to the Anthony Davis draft in ’12.”

Wembanyama Is why the NBA Is Already Eyeing the 2023 Draft