Paolo Banchero recently confirmed that his national team commitment lies with Italy, and not with the United States. Banchero initially told Marc Stein that he was planning to play for Italy and confirmed that commitment again in a conversation with Orlando Magic teammate R.J. Hampton.

While on Hampton's "Young Person" show, Banchero explained that him playing for Italy has been in the works for a while.

"When I was 16, the Italian national team reached out to my dad," Banchero said. "They were like, 'Does he have Italian roots? Can he get citizenship?' And my dad told them yes. So, the whole process started. I flew to San Francisco multiple times to meet them at the Italian embassy, we had a few meetings, and I ended up getting my Italian passport."

Banchero said he doesn't know when he'll make his debut for Italy, but that he's excited for the opportunity.

"I'm planning to play for the Italian national team, but I'm not sure when," Banchero said. "I haven't been out there yet, but man, the amount of love I'm getting from there... it's crazy, man. It's crazy. I can't wait to go to Italy."

Big men who can shoot have frequently been given the "unicorn" moniker over the past few years, but LeBron James believes Victor Webanyama goes even further.

"Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien," said James. "No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor."

Webanyama, 7-4, made seven three-pointers in a game against the G League Ignite this week.

Webanyama is widely expected to be the top pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.

The agent of Victor Wembanyama has insisted there are no plans to listen to some team executives who suggest he should be shut down until the 2023 NBA draft in June.

"NBA people are telling me to shut him down, and we are not going to shut him down," Bouna Ndiaye told ESPN on Wednesday. "If we came with that kind of talk to [Wembanyama], he will look at us and say, 'What are you talking about?' He'll never agree to that. He wants to compete and get better. With Victor, it's basketball first and everything else second. He was so pissed off that he lost."

Wembanyama's performance against the G League Ignite was seen in person by approximately 200 NBA executives and scouts. 

Serbian point guard Visilje Micic was voted by NBA GMs as one of the best players not currently playing in the NBA. If Micic had his way, he'd be on an NBA roster already.

"I have a desire to go to the NBA, but as you can see, things are not going well," Micic told Eurohoops.net. "I always prioritize basketball in my decisions. I didn’t even chase after the money I am earning in Europe, which is hard to earn. I never chase money, I never chase individual prizes, but I know that if I put a lot of effort into my game and get good results, something must come in return: rewards and money."

Micic said he wants to play a role in the NBA, not just a contract and a roster spot.

“From what I heard from my agents, there were rumors about some teams. Some teams were interested in me," Micic said. "As far as I understand, people there are hesitant to give me the role that I want."

Micic's draft rights are currently retained by the Oklahoma City Thunder. If another team wanted to sign the 28-year-old guard, they'd have to complete a trade with the Thunder for Micic's draft rights. For his part, Micic is open to playing for Oklahoma City, but he understands the team has other priorities right now.

"Talking about OKC, they have my rights and I have the desire to go there, but maybe our opinions are conflicting. They want to develop their players and build a young team with all those great young guys they have. Maybe there is no space for me," Micic said. "Maybe the playoff candidates who want me can find a loophole and get me, but that’s out of my hands. I can’t go out there and say to them, 'Look, I’m a good player, take me'. It’s up to them."

When French club Metropolitans 92 and G League Ignite agreed to play a pair of exhibition games, it was hoped that Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson would put on a show. The two 18-year-old prospects delivered.

Wembanyama scored 37 points on 11-of-20 shooting, including 7-of-11 on three-pointers. He also blocked five shots. The combination of seven threes and five blocks has happened only one time in NBA history.

Henderson led the Ignite to a 122-115 victory behind his 28 points. The guard scored 28 points on 11-of-21 shooting. Henderson showed off an impressive mix of his driving ability and his jump shot.

Wembanyama and Henderson are widely expected to be selected first and second overall, respectively, at the 2023 NBA Draft.