After an eventful day-one of the 2024 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs nonetheless had work to do. With two alternatives within the second spherical, Brian Wright and the entrance workplace have been as soon as once more trying to make strikes. They made a take care of the Indiana Pacers, buying and selling the thirty fifth general decide for the thirty sixth choice and money. The Pacers picked Kansas Freshman, Johnny Furphy with the thirty fifth decide, and the Spurs took Spanish guard, Juan Nunez at 36.
Draft Grade: C
Juan Nunez, 6-foot-4 guard, Ratiopharm Ulm (Germany)
2023-2024 stats: 9.9 factors, 4.9 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 47% FG, 31.9% 3PT, 60.7%
Nunez’s best energy is his passing skill within the decide and roll. Like many Spanish guards earlier than him, Nunez performs with aptitude as a pass-first participant. He’ll draw comparisons to Ricky Rubio given his nationality and play-style, however he isn’t almost as fast as Rubio, and didn’t expertise the identical stage of abroad success.
I am excited to see the place Juan Nunez will get drafted at the moment. The 6’5 Spanish guard is arguably the perfect pick-and-roll playmaker on this class; an absolute magician with the ball who makes inventive, decisive reads and picks aside defenses with spectacular imaginative and prescient and aptitude. pic.twitter.com/QeqQglJLiu
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2024
Nunez is a poor perimeter defender, and may be very sluggish for a guard. To place it in perspective, he ran simply .01 seconds sooner than Purdue huge man, Zach Edey, within the three-quarter court docket dash on the NBA Draft mix. Regardless of being such a inventive passer, he nonetheless struggles with turnovers, averaging 2.3 giveaways this previous season. Nunez’s soar shot wants some work. He shoots simply 31.9% from three and 60.7% from the free throw line. Very similar to Stephon Fort, Nunez confirmed some promise of hitting pictures, however didn’t do it persistently sufficient to show he’ll be a shooter on the subsequent stage.
Juan Nuñez had his greatest capturing efficiency of the season yesterday, going 4/5 from 3FG and a couple of/2 from the FT line en path to a 20 pt/5 help/1 TO stat line vs Gottingen.
In his final 4 video games, Nuñez is averaging 17 pts & 5 asts on 50% 3FG (7/14) & 78.9% FT (15/19). pic.twitter.com/qVCVtwQ6UX
— Jimmy Rhoades (@CoachJRhoades) March 10, 2024
It’s seemingly that Nunez is a draft-and-stash decide. San Antonio traded out of the eighth decide to collect belongings and open cap area. It’s clear they need to preserve monetary flexibility transferring ahead. Nunez might re-sign with Barca in Spain and proceed to play in Europe till the Spurs need to deliver him over. We’ll seemingly get extra readability on his contract state of affairs within the coming days.
The Nunez decide is a bit onerous to swallow. There was clear expertise remaining on the board at 35, together with Furphy, who’s a greater prospect than Nunez. They might have elected to select the Serbian wing, Nikola Djurisic, who might have larger upside, and nonetheless seemingly stashed him. Clearly the Spurs worth Nunez’s passing and ground imaginative and prescient on the level guard place to pick out him at this spot. The second spherical is at all times a crap shoot, and with the two-way contract, it’s turn into a sport of who can crew’s take that received’t damage them financially or burn a roster spot.
Drafting Nunez is one other long-term transfer, signaling that San Antonio is remaining affected person in it’s rebuild. By deciding on a draft-and-stash participant, they maintain the cap flexibility to accumulate extra belongings this summer season and past. The method is sensible, even when the prospect is lower than good.
