Category: Spurs NBA Draft

New mock draft has San Antonio Spurs take 3-and-D forward

Still a little raw but polished enough to play with San Antonio next season, we’d be open to a flier on this young swingman,

Would it make sense for the San Antonio Spurs to use their late second round pick to draft a 3-and-D forward? If you ask Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman his opinion, the answer is yes — and he has one in mind for the Spurs to consider in his latest mock draft.

Wasserman currently has San Antonio taking Baylor forward Jalen Bridges with the 46th overall pick of the draft this summer. A 6-foot-9 22-year-old, Bridges has been compared to Florida alum Dorian Finney-Smith. “Scouts are starting to mention Jalen Bridges in the second-round sleeper discussion,” suggests the B/R draft expert.

“After hitting 6-of-10 3s in two NCAA tournament games, he finished the year at 41.2% on 5.1 attempts per game.”

“Even if teams aren’t buying the improved self-creation and pull-up flashes, he’s developed into an accurate off-ball shot maker (15-of-27 off screens) with an excellent defensive profile,” writes Wasserman.

Still a little raw but polished enough to play with San Antonio next season, we’d be open to a flier on this young swingman,

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NBA Mock Draft has Spurs select 6-foot-5 Pittsburgh guard

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Carlton Carrington out of Pittsburgh.

Obviously, by the time the 2024 NBA Draft rolls around, everyone who follows the San Antonio Spurs will have their eyes on the top five selections. However, the Spurs could also find some value in the second round, as more and more teams are drafting quality players late in the draft. Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report recently wrote a mock draft, and in it, he has the Spurs selecting Pittsburgh guard Carlton Carrington with the 35th overall selection.

“Carlton Carrington could generate first-round consideration, but he’s not a lock, which will lead to an interesting decision over whether to scrimmage at the NBA combine,” Wasserman wrote. “It’s easy to see the appeal to a 6’5″, 18-year-old guard who averaged 4.1 assists and 2.0 threes and hit 102 pull-up jumpers. There are just questions about his lack of quickness and burst, which limited his rim pressure and led to a red-flag low steal rate.”

For all the concerns Wasserman detailed there is an equal amount of upside. Carrington’s offensive game could be very useful for the Spurs, who would benefit from more perimeter creation.

In 33 games at Pittsburgh in his freshman season, Carrington averaged 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 4.1 assists while shooting 41.2% from the field and 32.2% from behind the three-point line.

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Should the San Antonio Spurs consider drafting Zaccharie Risacher?

Playing for JL Bourg Basket of Bourg-en-Bresse, France, the 6-foot-9 swingman is still a bit raw at just 19 years old.

The San Antonio Spurs are hoping to strike gold in their quest to use their first round draft assets to add talent that fits the style of play and age curve of French rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 NBA draft.

And alongside names like Stephon Castle and Donovan Clingan from UConn and Rob Dillingham of Kentucky, fellow Frenchman and forward Zaccharie Risacher could be the sort of high-upside prospect that the Spurs hope to put next to Wemby. Currently playing for JL Bourg Basket of Bourg-en-Bresse, France, the 6-foot-9 swingman is still a bit raw at just 19 years old.

He can defend well in space, but doesn’t rebound or pass as much as someone as capable as he is at both should. His 38.6% 3-point shot is interesting if at low volume, though his free throw rate hints his jumper should translate.

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, sat down with Jack Thompson, formerly with San Antonio Sports Star, to talk about Risacher and if the Spurs should take him with their draft pick. Check it out above!

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Latest NBA Mock Draft sees Spurs select 6-foot-6 Serbian point guard

In a recent mock draft, the San Antonio Spurs snag Serbian point guard Nikola Topic.

As the San Antonio Spurs look to build out their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer, the NBA Draft will be crucial. If they want to build long-lasting success around the Frenchman, they’ll need to find more young talent. In Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman’s latest NBA Mock Draft, the Spurs snag Serbian point guard Nikola Topic, who stands at 6-foot-6.

“The San Antonio Spurs seem like a match for Nikola Topić, mostly due to the team’s glaring need for a lead playmaker,” Wasserman wrote. “The question is whether they would consider him if they wind up picking earlier in the top three. They should be more willing to look past his three-point percentages and defensive outlook at No. 5, though, given the wild scoring and passing production he put up this year at 18 years old.

“Topić hasn’t played since January 4, but he’s expected back for the Adriatic League playoffs. There is still scouting left to be done considering how much time he missed, but he’s also delivered a large sample size of convincing pick-and-roll play, rim pressure and finishing. And though his jump shot isn’t a strength yet, he’s demonstrated plenty of shotmaking confidence and backed up flashes with impressive free-throw numbers.”

The Spurs’ need for a true point guard next to Wembanyama makes Topic a near-perfect fit.

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San Antonio takes NCAA title tilt big man in new mock draft

In this mock, the Spurs take a rebounding machine who blocks shots like a Prohibitionist.

The San Antonio Spurs are on the hunt for the ideal player to pair with Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 NBA draft, and the folks over at the Ringer think they know just the prospect. A 7-foot-2 big man reminiscent of a more mobile Jakob Poeltl, freshly-crowned, back-to-back NCAA title-winner Donovan Clingan of UConn next to Wemby would make for a terrifying frontcourt of the future for the Spurs.

“Clingan rose up the rankings throughout the college season, and with UConn back in the Final Four, he has played himself into the top-three conversation,” writes the Ringer of the potential pairing.

“Pairing Clingan with … Wembanyama would give the Spurs a terrifying frontcourt that could shut down the paint for a decade.”

A rebounding machine who blocks shots like a Prohibitionist, Clingan’s 7-foot-7 wingspan and near-basket game are his selling points. And he’s shot 3s at the high school level, so there may be a chance for him to grow his jumper at the NBA level.

His free throw efficiency tells a different tale, and he struggles on defense in space. But with Wemby taking care of that aspect of the game and Clingan roaming near the dunker spot — let’s just say we can also see the vision.

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San Antonio mocked to take Big East floor general in new 2024 projection

A clutch player who can knock it down from deep or take it to the rack, we see the vision with this selection.

The San Antonio Spurs have a pair of second round draft picks at their disposal for the 2024 NBA draft. And in the Ringer’s new mock of that draft, a potential point guard prospect to pair with Victor Wembanyama has been floated we think would be an excellent fit with the Spurs.

That floor general would be Marquette’s Tyler Kolek, a 23-year-old, 6-foot-3 playmaker. With a game that is described as reminiscent of Jalen Brunson and Goran Dragic, we can see the appeal for a young ball club desperately in need of a game-managing guard to keep Wemby happy and the rest of the team settled into their roles.

And while defense is not exactly Kolek’s strong suit as a smaller NBA point guard, he’s still large enough to do the job at a high level with Wembanyama on the floor.

A clutch player who can knock it down from deep or take it to the rack, diversifying his offensive repertoire would also help his game.

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Spurs projected to take Weber State floor general in new 2024 mock draft

His size and aggressive style of play would indeed make for an interesting fit next to Wemby.

The San Antonio Spurs will likely look to the draft once again to find the players they need to surround star French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama with the right sort of players needed to compete in the league’s 2024-25 season.

And among others, the Spurs have a late second round pick currently projected to go 46th overall in a new mock 2024 NBA draft from the Ringer. And that mock draft has a player in mind for San Antonio — Weber State forward Dillon Jones. A 6-foot-6 22-year-old with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, Jones evokes what the Ringer describes as “shades of Grant Williams crossed with Julius Randle”. Did we mention that Jones plays the point?

His size and aggressive style of play would indeed make for an interesting fit next to Wemby. And while his defense and jumper could use some work, the upside is considerable for a ball club that already has atypical physical gifts.

And Jones’ defensive and athletic deficiencies will be in a less harsh light with someone like Wembanyama behind him to help act as a second line of defense should the Weber State alum need the help.

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Should the San Antonio Spurs draft Bronny James?

The upside is there, and if it brings LeBron, it’s a no-brainer

Should the San Antonio Spurs draft Bronny James? According to at least one NBA analyst, even without the potential fringe benefit of getting Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James as part of the bargain, still has the potential selection of the younger James at least worthy of consideration.

“As (the Spurs) continue building the roster around the presumptive Rookie of the Year (Victor Wembanyama), point guard is likely to be near the top of (San Antonio’s) offseason wish list,” writes Bleacher Report’s Joseph Zucker. “Tre Jones isn’t the answer, at least within a starting context, and he might be gone in the near future because he only signed a two-year deal.”

(The Spurs) could opt for a veteran addition as a stopgap to accelerate both Wembanyama’s development and its timeline to becoming a contender,” suggests the B/R analyst.

“In that scenario, James would be positioned as the long-term successor at the point who would ideally slot right into the starting role after two or three years,” he adds.

And while, for Zucker, adding LeBron is not part of his calculus, for a team that is trying to put some winning players around Wemby, such a potential bonus to picking up the USC wing is certainly worth considering.

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Should the Spurs aim for best fit next to Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 NBA draft, or highest ceiling?

San Antonio will have another shot at picking up a foundational player to pair with Victor Wembanyama.

The San Antonio Spurs will have another shot at picking up a foundational player to pair with rookie French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama in the 2024 NBA draft this summer. When it comes to the prospect they elect to select with their first round pick, should the Spurs aim for the player who is the best fit next to Wemby, or the prospect with the highest ceiling?

There are different philosophies on how to approach the NBA draft, with drafting for upside being the dominant approach for most teams, especially in the lottery, where truly transformational players tend to be found. But in this draft, there is a consensus that there are few if any such players at any point in the draft class, so could drafting for fit make more sense?

The host of the “Locked On Spurs” podcast, Jeff Garcia, linked up with the host of the “Sweep The League” podcast, Rudy Campos, stops by to discuss if the Spurs should draft the best fit or best available option.

Check it out above!

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Should Spurs target best player or best fit in 2024 NBA Draft?

In the 2024 NBA Draft, should the San Antonio Spurs focus on fit or just take the best player available?

The San Antonio Spurs changed the course of their franchise forever last offseason when they picked Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick. The French big man has been amazing in his rookie season, and this summer will be a chance for the Spurs to build on the success he’s found by putting a better team around him.

Because they have struggled so much this year from a win-loss perspective, the Spurs will have another top pick in the upcoming draft. This means they should be able to add a second high-level young prospect to pair with Wembanyama. But what direction should they go in during the draft?

The Locked On Spurs podcast recently discussed whether or not the Spurs should target the best for their roster or the best player in the draft.

Adding a player who fits well next to Wembanyama would be ideal for the Spurs, but at the same time, getting the best player available seems like the smart decision.

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