It's safe to say that picking up a French center deep in the second round of the draft worked out for the Sacramento Kings. Their front office might consider going around again in 2026, as Oscar Wembanyama may be in the draft, and he reportedly has a lot of potential to build on.
Right off the bat, it needs to be said that the younger brother of the Spurs' Victor Wembanyama is a much different player than him. The 19-year-old is roughly six feet and eight inches tall and does not have the same skill set as his brother. That tends to happen with such a huge height gap.
He also has plenty of developing to do. Oscar is playing great U21 ball in France at the moment, but he still has to work on his shot and on his defense. What everyone can agree on is that he has a huge upside in both areas that could be brought out with the right development efforts.
As it stands right now, Oscar hasn't declared for this year's draft, though it is widely expected that he still might in 2026. If not, then 2027 is on the table. When he does declare, his name recognition alone should make him a hot commodity, one the Kings should be paying attention to.
The Kings could use their own Wembanyama
Throughout his season in the French U21 league, Oscar's numbers and abilities have consistently grown. He started playing basketball late in life, originally focusing on the game of handball. It is a much different sport, though there are some skills that definitely cross over.
A perimeter-focused forward, he's already drawn a great deal of attention for his defensive acumen and his shooting ability. He's roughly 50% from the field and around 38% from three. Those are solid numbers for someone who is still young and growing into his game.
The big draw for the Kings has to be his ceiling, which Oscar isn't even close to. He will develop into a polished, high-level role player with the defensive ability to guard multiple positions. On the right team, he will become a cornerstone of the bench and a potential Sixth Man candidate.
Oscar is a very different player from Victor. To be fair, Victor Wembanyama is one of a kind. That doesn't mean that Oscar can't be impactful on the Kings. He would work incredibly well with the Beam Boys, particularly Raynaud, who definitely could use a wing like Oscar riding with him.
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