With nearly 41 video games beneath their belts, the San Antonio Spurs are firmly hitting the doldrums of the NBA mid-season. The Spurs have outperformed their preseason expectations, however a stretch of poor play, together with a three-game dropping streak, has dropped them to beneath .500 at 18-19. It’s not panic time but, because the commerce deadline looms with the chance for exterior enchancment heading into the All-Star break.
Nonetheless, I’ve seen increasingly more people specializing in what lies forward within the 2025 NBA Draft. San Antonio seems prefer it’s previous the purpose of taking part in for ping pong balls, however they nonetheless may see main enhancements to their roster, with a number of picks anticipated within the upcoming draft.
In the meantime, the faculty basketball season is heating up, with groups lastly stepping into convention play. Now could be when prospects separate themselves and a bigger consensus on the place they stack up in opposition to one another begins to take form. It’s the proper time to take inventory of the place the Spurs could discover themselves come draft night time.
Potential Spurs picks
At present, the Spurs’ highest potential draft choose belongs to the Chicago Bulls. At 17-20, the Bulls are ninth on the board within the draft. San Antonio acquires this choose if it falls exterior of the highest 10. They’ll want Chicago to get into the playoff hunt to get the choose. With a number of Chicago veterans like Nikola Vucevic and Zach Lavine concerned in commerce rumors, there’s a probability the Bulls elect to blow issues up and tank towards the top of the season. If that’s the case, the Spurs will possible want to attend for this choose to convey sooner or later.
San Antonio controls its draft future with their very own first-round choice. At present, that choose is slated to go contained in the lottery at 11. Final season, the Atlanta Hawks jumped from 10 to 1 on lottery night time. Something is feasible when your identify is within the operating. San Antonio has skilled good lottery luck recently. That would proceed this summer season.
Talking of the Hawks, they owe the Spurs their first-round choose this yr courtesy of the Dejounte Murray commerce. That choose can be headed for the lottery at 13. Atlanta is 19-19, and it looks as if they could possibly be headed for the playoffs within the Jap Convention. I wouldn’t rely on this choose touchdown within the lottery with how they’ve been taking part in. In the event that they keep, it’s doable the Spurs may have 3 picks within the late lottery.
Prospects to observe
Within the final version, we profiled: Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Egor Demin, and Tre Johnson.
UCONN Wings:
San Antonio reaped the advantages of the UCONN Huskies championship roster final yr, deciding on Stephon Fort. Regardless of his ups and downs, it’s exhausting to argue the rookie hasn’t regarded prepared for NBA competitors. A whole lot of that’s because of the preparation he obtained beneath UCONN head coach, Dan Hurley. The Huskies are again within the title dialog, at the moment ninth within the AP High 25. They’ve been led by two wings who’re intriguing NBA prospects.
Freshman Liam McNeeley has been nice for UCONN, averaging 13.6 factors and 5.8 rebounds whereas taking pictures 37.9% from three. McNeeley has a fantastic body and a candy taking pictures contact from deep. He’s extra of a connective piece, however he’s bodily and communicates on each ends of the ground. I don’t assume you’d draft him for his upside, however San Antonio wants extra two-way gamers who can shoot. At 6-7 (I feel he seems a bit taller) he ought to be capable of play a number of positions and guard up and down the lineup, giving the Spurs extra flexibility round Victor Wembanyama.
Equally, Junior wing Alex Karaban has continued his streak of excellent play with the Huskies, averaging 15.9 factors, 5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks whereas taking pictures 41.5% from deep. Karaban is an superior defender, particularly off the ball as a secondary rim protector, and is an expert shooter with lengthy vary. Once more, you’re extra of a job participant on the subsequent degree and somebody who the Spurs may most likely get within the late teenagers to 20s if considered one of their picks falls down the draft order. Karaban has received two championships at UCONN and would be the solely participant on the workforce to three-peat. That’s the kind of pedigree that is smart for a workforce attempting to win extra video games.
Backup bigs:
San Antonio has a backup middle concern. Neither Zach Collins nor Charles Bassey have proven sufficient to warrant large minutes off the bench. That’s inflicting large points for the Spurs who now need to play Wembanyama and Sochan extra minutes than they’d like, resulting in some regression late in video games. The Spurs want to deal with this concern, both through commerce or within the draft.
There are many intriguing large males within the draft that would fill that want long-term. Duke’s Khaman Maluach (8.1 factors, 5.6 rebounds, 1.1 blocks) is an athletic, but uncooked prospect. Maryland’s Derik Queen (16 factors, 8 rebounds, 1.1 blocks) is a bruising large who can dribble, cross and shoot with sturdy footwork, however is a defensive legal responsibility. Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber (15.1 factors, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 blocks) has been a dominant power as a freshman and reveals indicators of growing a three-ball. Auburn’s Johni Broome (18.7 factors, 11.2 rebounds, 2.7 blocks) is an older prospect however may be the very best participant in faculty basketball.
It feels odd to spend a first-round choice on a backup middle, but when it finally ends up being a participant who can play alongside him for the majority of his prime, it might make sense to put money into the place. Out of all these gamers, I’m most intrigued by Sorber who could also be out there later within the draft. His body and skillset are one thing the Spurs may become a extremely sturdy backup large man. If his shot develops, he may even play alongside Wembanyama because of his athleticism and energy.
Combo guards:
My favourite participant within the 2025 draft class is Illinois freshman Kasparas Jakucionis. The Lithuanian has been unbelievable on and off the ball for the Illini. He’s averaging 16.4 factors, 5.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists whereas taking pictures 49.6% from the sector, 41.4% from three, and 87.5% from the free throw line. He’s had superior video games in opposition to good NCAA groups like Northwestern, Arkansas, and Missouri. Jakucionis can rating in any respect three ranges, arrange his teammates and he competes like hell. His greatest downfall is that he’s a bit turnover-prone (3.6 per sport), as he tries to make an excessive amount of occur with the ball in his palms.
He’s precisely the kind of tough-scoring combo guard the Spurs may use once they face offensive droughts. He’d be a fantastic match within the pick-and-roll with Wembanyama and will play properly subsequent to Fort as a enjoyable 1-2 punch on the guard place. He’ll require a top-5 choose to get him, which implies the Spurs will both want lottery luck or make a draft-day commerce to go get him.
If they’re nonetheless searching for a combo guard later within the draft, the Spurs ought to have a look at Marquette senior, Kam Jones. He’s taken on a good greater function after Tyler Kolek was drafted by the New York Knicks final yr. He’s been nice, averaging 19.7 factors and 6.4 assists. Jones’s taking pictures has taken a dip (going from 40.6% to 34.6% from three) with the elevated utilization, however he’s nonetheless a formidable shot-maker. Jones may find yourself being one of many greatest steals within the draft along with his scoring means. San Antonio will finally want to begin including offensive weapons subsequent to Wembanyama.
