The Spurs received fortunate on the lottery. Not solely did they transfer up one spot to safe the fourth choose but in addition received the Raptors’ eighth choose this 12 months due to Houston and Atlanta transferring up.
The asset accumulation course of that San Antonio underwent because it disassembled its roster a few years in the past is bearing fruit. Now the query is what occurs subsequent. Will the Spurs maintain the picks or commerce them? Has something modified dramatically across the league after the lottery? Let’s check out what the lottery outcomes imply for the Silver and Black.
We’re about to see how affected person the Spurs really are
The Spurs rebuild goes nice, largely as a result of they received the highest choose final 12 months and landed Victor Wembanyama. The large man has been in some way even higher than marketed and after only one season has cemented himself as a franchise participant and future celebrity. San Antonio has its centerpiece and the decision-makers have expressed that they may take issues gradual.
How affected person the Spurs could be whereas attempting to place items subsequent to Wemby will likely be examined by having 4 picks within the upcoming draft. Brian Wright might observe the gradual rebuilding technique that the Thunder and lots of different franchises have adopted and easily use these picks so as to add younger expertise. As we talked about, San Antonio might goal a guard and wing with vary to handle its greatest deficiencies on the roster with its two lottery picks, then make a few gambles that could possibly be slotted on two-way offers with its two second-rounders, the thirty fifth total choose and the forty eighth total choose. The Spurs, the youngest group within the league final season, might get even youthful in hopes of discovering long-term items that may develop with Wembanyama. Certain, the method may not be conducive to successful in 2024/25, however the subsequent draft is meant to be a great one and a excessive choose then could possibly be very helpful.
Do the Spurs have it in them to undergo one other season with so many losses, although? Nearly as good as a number of the prospects that must be inside San Antonio’s attain are, they will’t be anticipated to come back in and contribute in the best way a veteran would. And the group already has younger gamers in want of improvement. Does it make sense to select a man within the lottery who may not get a lot enjoying time as a rookie or would it not be higher to intention larger within the quick time period? The picks may not be as helpful as they might have been in different years, however let’s say the Jazz or the Bulls determine to promote excessive on Lauri Markanne or Coby White, for instance. You possibly can insert any younger veteran of your selection on this hypothetical. It could possibly be extraordinarily tempting to commerce one or each picks for somebody who can are available in and begin from day 1 as an alternative of including extra tasks that may not pan out.
There’s no apparent proper reply right here, which is why it is going to be so fascinating to see how the entrance workplace performs its hand. The Spurs have been preaching endurance, however constructing quick needs to be a chance.
The Hawks getting the highest choose might create chaos that helps San Antonio
Atlanta received fortunate and landed the highest choose regardless of going into the lottery with low odds. The Hawks, which disillusioned final season and have been in turmoil, immediately received a really fascinating asset they will use to enhance their roster by both selecting a prospect or buying and selling the choose. It’s clearly a great factor for the franchise, nevertheless it additionally provides one other main issue to contemplate for a entrance workplace that already has loads to consider.
The plan for the Hawks. had they stayed at 10 after the lottery would have been easy. They don’t have any incentive to tank as a result of they owe the Spurs their 2025 and 2027 first-rounders and a choose swap in 2026, so they should get higher. The plain play was to commerce considered one of Trae Younger or Dejounte Murray for some frontcourt assist and attempt to get some veterans to enhance the locker room. However now the Hawks have much more choices, starting from the conservative to the daring. Do they commerce the choose for future draft capital or a number of first-rounders on this draft so as to safe cheaper, youthful expertise within the coming years after mortgaging their future within the Murray commerce? Do they use the choose to commerce for a veteran star that could possibly be on the transfer, like Paul George or Jimmy Butler? Do they maintain the choose, choose a prospect and danger alienating whichever star guard they maintain by not making a win-now transfer?
To be clear, getting the highest choose is a large constructive for the Hawks, nevertheless it additionally introduces extra uncertainty. There’s a probability that this will likely be Normal Supervisor Landry Fields’ alternative to proper the ship in Atlanta, which might make the picks his franchise owes the Spurs much less helpful. However there’s additionally an opportunity that this emboldens Fields to make riskier strikes which are sensible within the lengthy view however find yourself hurting the Hawks within the quick time period. Going into the lottery, Atlanta appeared headed to a couple years of mediocrity. Now different outcomes, together with some that might profit San Antonio, appear to be in play.
