Category: Spurs NBA Draft

Could the Spurs steal the Raptors’ 2024 lottery pick?

The San Antonio Spurs could end up getting the Toronto Raptors’ lottery pick this summer.

The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the worst teams in the league this year. Obviously, that’s not where Victor Wembanyama and company wanted to be in his first year in the league, but they have plenty of room to grow. Wembanyama has been amazing this season, and they are still a very young team.

Most importantly, the Spurs will have a big chance to add more talent this summer. Not only will they have money to spend in free agency, but they will also be able to bring in some new young talent through the draft. They could end up having two lottery picks.

The Spurs could end up getting the Toronto Raptors’ lottery pick, as they landed it in the Jakob Poeltl trade last season. The selection is top-six protected, so if the Raptors end up outside of the top-six, the Spurs will get to steal the pick. The CLAN the SPURS fan recently spoke about this chance.

Getting the Raptors’ pick would allow the Spurs to add two premier young talents to their squad.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

San Antonio projected to take Kentucky guard in new 2024 mock draft

If this player is available to San Antonio, they should pounce.

Fans of the San Antonio Spurs can be forgiven if their eyes have drifted towards the action unfolding in the 2024 NCAA Tournament, given the rest of the Spurs’ 2023-24 season is something closer to an extended development session in terms of what goals are left to accomplish.

But there are more reasons to keep an eye on the tournament, with San Antonio armed with a bevvy of picks to use in the 2024 NBA draft on players currently showing out in the tourney. And that is exactly the mission of Bleacher Report’s NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, who has a player in mind for the Spurs with their 2024 first round pick — even if an early tournament exit has robbed us of some potential data to evaluate him further.

That prospect would be Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, a 6-foot-3, 19-year-old combo guard who could be compared to Kirk Hinrich. Shooting over 50% from deep on high volume, Sheppard has shown “enough burst and floater touch for NBA teams to consider the possibility that he can be effective for stretches in a lead-guard role.”

While some teams may pass for other top talents, Wasserman believes that his “the translation of elite shooting, finishing craft, skill set for on/off-ball offense and IQ for passing and defense” would make him an ideal target for the Spurs.

Such players tend to fit well in San Antonio’s system and could grow next to Victor Wembanyama as part of a future Spurs dynasty — if Sheppard is available, San Antonio should pounce.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

New mock sees San Antonio take Santa Barbara point guard in 2024 NBA draft

We’d be happy with such a prospect for the Spurs, given he has the size and profile to top out as a solid starting point guard.

It may be all you can do to keep up with the NBA and NCAA Tournament, with both going down at the same time. But for NBA draft analysts like Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, it is the best time of the year to connect the two audiences.

And for the San Antonio Spurs’ earlier of their two selections in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft set to take place this summer, he also has a prospect in mind for the Spurs’ front office to consider. That would be Santa Barbara point guard Ajay Mitchell, a 6-foot-5, 21-year-old floor general who draws comparisons to Andrew Nembhard.

“Mitchell’s year ended with him scoring over 35 points in two of Santa Barbara’s final 3 games,” writes Wasserman. “A weak strength of schedule, record (7th in the Big West) and his lack of 3-point volume work against him.”

“But there will be believers in his scoring translating based on how effectively he uses change of speed to get to spots and touch shots/adjustments around the paint,” adds the B/R draft expert.

“Plus, despite taking just 2.9 3s in 31.5 minutes as a third-year college guard, he’s making them at a solid rate (39.3%), burying free throws (85.8%) and demonstrating the shot-making versatility to connect off the catch and dribble.”

We’d be happy with such a prospect for the Spurs, given Mitchell has the size and profile to top out as a solid starting point guard. He might not translate at the next level given his prior competition (think Kentucky’s James Young), but a worthwhile gable this late in the draft.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Spurs mocked to take Kentucky wing in 2024 NBA draft

A recent mock has San Antonio gambling on upside with their second-rounder.

If you are still trying to keep track of what is going on in the 2024 NCAA Tournament — never mind what the San Antonio Spurs might do in the 2024 NBA draft — you are not alone. But for Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, this is the busiest part of his calendar, as that sweet tourney action pulls in potential readers.

And he has a player in mind for San Antonio in the second round, where they will be selecting with a pick currently projected to come in at No. 43 overall. Wasserman sees the Spurs going for a Kentucky forward, Justin Edwards.

“It’s easy to see the appeal to … Edwards when his shot is falling, but limited creation and shooting inconsistency have made it difficult to buy in,” writes the B/R expert of the 6-foot-8 20-year-old prospect.

“He’s demonstrated enough shot-making potential lately to remain interesting, but he will still have some convincing to do during workouts to sway teams to see a serviceable 3-and-D wing,” he adds.

Not exactly the home run one might hope for in a potential rookie. But this late in the draft, that tends to be the case, and Edwards has flashed a lot of potential before his recent stumbles have hurt his stock.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Spurs select UConn forward with pick No. 7 in recent NBA Mock Draft

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs are projected to pick UConn forward Stephon Castle.

The San Antonio Spurs have a big opportunity to improve their roster around Victor Wembanyama this summer. Obviously, free agency will be a big part of that, but perhaps even more important is who they choose to select in the 2024 NBA Draft. They could have a pair of top-10 selections to work with.

The Spurs’ pick is likely to fall in the top three, but they could also end up with the Toronto Raptors’ pick. That selection is top-six protected, but the Raptors are currently projected to have the seventh-overall pick in the draft. San Antonio could have a chance to bring in two top-10 players this summer.

In a recent NBA Mock Draft from No Ceilings, the Spurs are projected to pick UConn forward Stephon Castle with the seventh pick.

“The San Antonio Spurs desperately need shooting, which Stephon Castle unfortunately won’t provide,” wrote Tyler Metcalf. “Luckily, their first pick in Reed Sheppard does. What Castle does offer, though, is high-level competency in every other facet of the game. Currently, Castle ranks in at least the 74th percentile in handoffs, pick-and-roll scoring, pick-and-roll including passes, and transition scoring, per Synergy. Coming out of high school, Castle was a point guard, so he’s very familiar with running the show. What this season has shown us, though, is that Castle is more than capable of playing a complementary role. Additionally, it’s proven that Castle is also a fantastic defender. When Castle is on the court, UConn’s defensive rating is 91, which ranks fourth. When he’s off the court, it jumps to 98.6, which ranks 47th. With the Spurs, Castle can fill in the gaps around Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell, and Reed Sheppard. While Castle will need to figure out his jumper in some form or fashion, the mechanics are far from broken. As he figures that out, though, he can provide defensive versatility, connective playmaking, a high basketball IQ, and a ton of potential to grow into an even more versatile player.”

In this mock, the Spurs would have already selected Reed Sheppard out of Kentucky with the third pick, so adding Castle’s defense would make sense.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

NBA Mock Draft sees Spurs take Kentucky guard with No. 3 pick

A recent NBA Mock Draft sees the San Antonio Spurs pick Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.

As the San Antonio Spurs look to build around Victor Wembanyama moving forward, this summer will be crucial. Not only will the Spurs have a chance to add talent in free agency, but they’re also slated to have one of the top picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, meaning they could draft another young star to pair with Wembanyama.

There is no consensus top pick in this year’s draft like there was last season, meaning the Spurs could go in a bunch of different directions. However, a recent NBA Mock Draft from Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report has the Spurs addressing their guard position.

Wasserman mocked Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard to the Spurs with the third pick.

“We’ve reached the NCAA tournament, and Reed Sheppard is still over 50.0 percent on 4.4 three-point attempts per game,” Wasserman wrote.

“A 24.1 assist percentage highlight combo-guard playmaking at the least, though his proficiency in ball-screen situations (1.1 points per possessions) suggests he could handle more creation reps.

“While generating rim pressure isn’t a strength, he’s still shown enough burst and floater touch for NBA teams to consider the possibility that he can be effective for stretches in a lead-guard role.

“Sheppard’s measurements will be the most anticipated and scrutinized at the NBA combine. There are sure to be teams that nitpick at each inch when assessing height, wingspan and standing verticals. But there will also be teams who simply buy his effectiveness against top NCAA competition, the translation of elite shooting, finishing craft, skill set for on/off-ball offense and IQ for passing and defense.”

Adding Reed’s shooting at the guard position would be huge for the Spurs.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Could the San Antonio Spurs pair Cooper Flagg with Victor Wembanyama?

Might San Antonio still be in rebuilding mode for that draft?

The San Antonio Spurs enraged the fans of the NBA’s other 29 ball clubs when they pulled off getting the top pick to draft French forward phenom Victor Wembanyama. But what if they found a way to land another potential superstar to pair him with?

Those angry fans would likely be rioting in the streets if the Spurs found a way to draft rising NCAA wunderkind Cooper Flagg, who is widely seen as the top player coming out of his draft class. The Maine native is planning to attend Duke for his one-and-done season at that level. Might San Antonio still be in rebuilding mode for that draft?

It is an intriguing scenario to think about, and one that would likely set the Spurs up to win titles for a decade or longer given the rules of the new CBA.

But how likely is it? YouTuber Six Rings of Steel broke it down in a clip he released last month. Check it out for yourself to hear his thoughts on Cooper plus Wemby in San Antonio.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Recent Spurs NBA Mock Draft selection receives middling grade

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs’ third-overall selection received a lukewarm grade.

The San Antonio Spurs have a big opportunity ahead of them this summer. Victor Wembanyama has shown the capabilities to be the leader of the franchise moving forward, but he can’t do it all by himself. Nobody can. Not even the best player in the world is capable of winning a title without a great supporting cast, especially with all the talent in the league today.

At the 2024 NBA Draft this summer, the Spurs will have a top pick, and with it, they could select a guy who could turn into one of Wembanyama’s top running mates for the foreseeable future.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic recently wrote a mock draft where the Spurs snagged Nikola Topic with the third pick. However, Roberto Araiza of Air Alamo was lukewarm on the idea, grading the mock selection a B-.

“In that way, this selection would be a far more massive gamble by the Spurs than many may assume,” Araiza wrote. “While I think that type of upside gamble is warranted at this stage of the team’s rebuild (particularly if the Spurs have two lottery picks in this coming draft), there could be several more intelligent gambles that can be made with such a high pick come draft day. If you’re a believer in Topic’s top-end outcome in the league, this is a solid pick. Otherwise, this has the potential to be a big miss.”

What do you think of Topic as a future Spur?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Spurs select 19-year-old, 6-10 forward in latest 2024 NBA Mock Draft

In a recent NBA Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs picked up Matas Buzelis with a top-10 pick.

While this season may not have gone to plan for the San Antonio Spurs, having Victor Wembanyama on the roster should be enough to keep fans excited about the future. And on top of that, they should have a top pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft. And if the Toronto Raptors’ pick falls out of the top six, they’ll get that selection, too.

In a recent NBA Mock Draft compiled by Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, the Raptors’ pick falls to seven, meaning the Spurs get to make two selections in the top 10. That would be a game-changer for the future of the organization and the potential timeline of a Wembanyama-led core.

With the seventh overall selection, Vecenie has the Spurs taking Matas Buzelis of the G League Ignitte – a 19-year-old, 6-10 forward.

“This is earlier than I would personally select Buzelis, but the feedback I get from scouts has been more positive than his overall numbers would indicate, given he’s averaging 13.0 points with a negative assist-to-turnover ratio and a true shooting percentage below the league average,” Vecenie wrote. “Much as they do with Holland, many evaluators are giving Buzelis the benefit of the doubt for the G League’s Ignite’s poorly constructed roster, especially at the guard positions.

“Scouts would love to see Buzelis do more as a shot creator, and they aren’t sure how well his on-ball defense will translate. But many have also appreciated the way Buzelis is settling into a role with the Ignite and playing more intelligently. Buzelis doesn’t try to do too much. He cuts sharply on offense and has impressed scouts with timely off-ball rotations, particularly around the rim, where he’s averaging 1.8 blocks per game. In the open court, he attacks in a way that makes many sense his long-term upside as a ballhandler and scorer. There’s some downside risk in taking Buzelis this high, but it appears unlikely he gets outside of the lottery and is consistently mentioned in the No. 4-12 range.”

Would Buzelis be a good fit next to Wembanyama? Or should the Spurs look elsewhere if they got this Raptors pick?

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

San Antonio Spurs take two forwards and a floor general in new 2024 NBA mock draft

San Antonio has three bites at the apple in the coming 2024 NBA draft.

The San Antonio Spurs need to surround Victor Wembanyama with complimentary players, and in the eyes of Bleacher Report NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman, San Antonio has three bites at the apple in the coming 2024 NBA draft that he has a trio of prospects in mind for the Spurs to select.

And while mid-January is not when most of us tend to start looking at the coming draft, for folks like Wasserman, things are just starting to heat up with the collegiate and overseas seasons now well underway. The B/R draft expert sees San Antonio turning to both the NCAA ranks and players currently suiting up in other pro leagues.

Let’s take a look at who he thinks would fit well with the Spurs.