The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery is finished. We now have the order for the upcoming draft, which has been heralded as a powerful one. The Spurs stayed at 14th with the Hawks’ choose however moved as much as second total from eighth with their very own choice and could have a shot at anybody not named Cooper Flagg.
The lottery at all times provides a reminder that the destiny of franchises is usually determined by ping-pong balls, and this one wasn’t the exception. A Mavericks entrance workplace that made a head-scratchingly unhealthy commerce was rewarded with the highest choose and a probable generational expertise, whereas some bottom-dwellers that tanked didn’t get blessings from the basketball gods.
As for the Spurs, Monday was an enormous day for his or her rebuild. So let’s take a better have a look at what having the second total choose means for San Antonio.
No Cooper Flagg, however the Spurs may nonetheless discover a cornerstone at No.2
Because the NBA’s assistant commissioner stored naming different groups, the hope of getting Cooper Flagg grew for Spurs followers. In the long run, Dallas bought the highest choose and can choose the consensus finest participant within the draft, until Nico Harrison needs to make the 2 most baffling selections in NBA historical past within the span of some months. Flagg was the massive prize of this class, and he’s not going to be a Spur until one thing surprising occurs.
It doesn’t imply San Antonio can’t discover Victor Wembanyama an elite working mate, although.
The consensus second-best prospect is Dylan Harper. The son of former NBA champion Ron is a 6’6 guard who has drawn comparisons to Cade Cunningham. The match won’t be excellent within the considerably crowded San Antonio backcourt, however having two massive creators with defensive potential in Harper and Stephon Fortress rising up collectively because the veteran De’Aaron Fox ages out of his prime would give the Spurs an extremely robust basis within the perimeter for over a decade. Groups would wrestle to maintain the Silver and Black off the paint for years to return, with the Fox-Harper-Fortress trio placing strain on the protection always.
If the Spurs need dimension on the ahead spots as an alternative, Harper’s teammate at Rutgers, Ace Bailey, is there. A 6’10 shooter who tasks to be a superb defender is precisely the kind of complementary piece San Antonio wants, and he would get time to develop bodily on a workforce that has veteran forwards to go to in probably the most difficult matchups of his rookie 12 months. Whereas most individuals suppose he’s the third-best prospect, others desire V.J. Edgecombe, an uber-athletic taking pictures guard with excessive defensive ceiling and big offensive upside who would instantly present depth and physicality on the wing.
There are different unimaginable abilities obtainable for the Spurs that we are going to quickly do deep dives on, a pool of prospects that run the gamut on expertise and positions, like Tre Johnson, Khaman Maluach, and Kasparas Jakucionis, to call a number of. Flagg received’t be there, however shifting to second total permits San Antonio to get the perfect subsequent participant in a powerful class full of prospects with star potential.
The Spurs now have an extremely priceless commerce piece
The eighth choose was a superb commerce asset due to all these names talked about within the earlier part. There are loads of guys from this class that groups would like to have. The second choose permits whoever will get it the possibility to select from all of them, and there are loads of entrance workplaces across the league which can be in all probability calling the Spurs proper now about getting it. Transferring up supplied Brian Wright with a device to speed up the rebuild, if he so chooses.
The premier commerce goal within the league is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who’s presumed to be sad in Milwaukee and will search to maneuver on. We’ll discover the concept in depth quickly, however for sure, the Spurs now have the kind of asset that may get them to the highest of the queue on the Bucks’ entrance workplace’s calling checklist if the Greek Freak asks out. Nevertheless it’s not simply Giannis that San Antonio may pursue.
A number of groups have had disappointing years and will look to pivot into rebuilds, just like the Grizzlies and Warmth. Others have been already making an attempt to rebuild however bought pushed down on the draft and won’t be in vary to seize the participant they covet, just like the Jazz and Wizards. There is likely to be groups which can be aggressive however getting old out or making an attempt to get cheaper, who would love to maneuver a veteran star or a number of high-level complementary items for a younger potential centerpiece for the long run. Even the groups at present battling within the playoffs would possibly fall in love with Harper, or Bayley, or Edgecombe and determine to reshape their roster on the fly. Anybody might be a commerce associate, as a result of the asset actually is that good.
The Spurs ought to be snug choosing second total and including one other prized younger man, but when somebody that may make them a contender now turns into obtainable or if a workforce makes them a proposal they’ll’t refuse, they might merely transfer the choose and pace up their rebuild whereas nonetheless having loads of future draft belongings at their disposal.
Getting Flagg would have been implausible, however shifting to second has put San Antonio in an incredible spot to start out a key offseason.
