After practically half a decade of watching ping pong balls and ready for the draft to enhance the roster, the San Antonio Spurs lastly have a profitable workforce. At 31-15, the Spurs are second within the Western Convention and on the quick observe for a playoff spot. The NBA Draft is out of sight and out of thoughts for many Spurs followers.
However if you’re a basketball junkie, catching school hoops video games and doing deep dives on the following class of NBA gamers, it’s exhausting not to consider which thrilling younger prospect may don the Silver and Black subsequent season. It’s much more thrilling when San Antonio has a choose which may be headed for the lottery, regardless of their success. The Spurs personal swap rights with the 23-25 Atlanta Hawks within the upcoming draft. If the season ended at this time, that choose could be twelfth total.
Specialists have praised the 2026 draft class for having top-tier expertise and robust depth. If San Antonio lands a choose within the 10-14 vary, they may doubtless seize a rotational participant. That’s nice information for a Spurs workforce that would use extra high-quality depth on the wing and ahead positions to enhance Victor Wembanyama and their guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Fort, and Dylan Harper.
In fact, buying and selling a lottery choose in a bundle for a high-quality wing improve will nonetheless be on the desk, but when the Spurs use their choose within the upcoming draft, listed below are some names to regulate if you flip on a university sport.
Thomas Haugh, 6-9 ahead, Florida
2026 stats: 17.4 factors, 6.7 rebounds, 1.1 steals; 46.7% FG, 33.6% 3PT, 74.3% FT
The Spurs have constructed an extended, versatile, powerful defensive squad round Wembanyama. They may double down on that workforce construct by taking Haugh within the upcoming draft. The Junior Gator has been excellent in his first season as a starter for Florida. He’s an enormous, sturdy wing who can guard on the perimeter and swat photographs away inside. He’s bought a excessive motor, and Florida head coach Todd Golden has trusted him to play 34.3 minutes per sport (a university sport has 40 minutes).
Haugh has developed rather a lot offensively over his 3-year profession at Florida. He’s nice at attacking the rim and has a excessive basketball IQ, understanding the place to be on the ground and making the correct passing reads. Right here comes the half Spurs followers gained’t wish to hear – his shot continues to be creating. It’s a clear launch, nevertheless it doesn’t all the time look probably the most fluid. He’s taking pictures just below 34% from deep, so he’s not a sharpshooter, however he’s a risk when left open.
Betting on Haugh would take perception in his growth over the course of his school profession. He went from an power large man off the bench to the sixth man for a Nationwide Championship workforce, to a go-to possibility on the wing in his junior season. He’d match into the Spurs roster as a participant who may guard greater gamers and faster wings, whereas giving them one other swingman who can end across the basket and put stress on the rim. Combine in a excessive motor on each ends, and he could possibly be a profitable participant for San Antonio. His leap shot is the ultimate piece that should fall into place.
Cameron Carr, 6-6 wing/guard, Baylor
2026 stats: 20.6 factors, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 blocks; 53.9% FG, 41.6% 3PT, 76.6% FT
The Spurs have gone by means of anemic offensive stretches this season. When Wembanyama is jammed up, and the paint is blocked off for Fox, Fort, and Harper to do harm inside, the workforce has struggled to seek out photographs on the perimeter and mid-range. If they need an offensive weapon on the wing, look no additional than Carr. The Baylor Junior is a good athlete, fluid with the basketball and drills threes. You’ll see him hit deep contested threes, photographs coming off motion, or pull-up threes off the bounce.
He’d match nicely into the Spurs system, too. He’s not a major playmaker, however he’s proven some respectable passing chops this season as a secondary ball-handler, tossing 2.5 assists per sport. He’s not an incredible defender proper now, however he definitely has the instruments to be. His athleticism and lengthy arms let him rise above offensive gamers for big-time blocks or spotlight reel dunks on the opposite finish. With some teaching on consideration to element, the Spurs may unlock Carr as a two-way risk on the wing.
Carr provides me school Zach LaVine vibes. He’s a loopy athlete with an excellent jumper and exhibits indicators of passing chops. However earlier than this season, Carr was fully off the map. He barely performed for Tennessee in his first two seasons. Is that this yr indicative of who he’s as a participant? Or is it merely a scorching streak? His expertise makes it look like it’s the former. If that’s the case, he may give San Antonio an actual offensive weapon who may develop right into a defensive asset as he will get stronger and extra skilled.
Yaxel Lendeborg, 6-9 ahead, Michigan
2026 stats: 14.4 factors, 7.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists; 51.4% FG, 32.5% 3PT, 83.8% FT
Many groups shrink back from older prospects. The Spurs shouldn’t be a type of groups. With most of their younger core established, it’s okay to draft an excellent participant with extra miles on them. Lendeborg suits the invoice.
The Michigan ahead is a real fashionable school participant. He’s in his sixth collegiate season, and might be 24 years previous when he steps on the NBA flooring as a rookie. He’s been nice in his sole season for the Wolverines. Lendeborg is an enormous, sturdy large/ahead who typically performs alongside Michigan’s big large man, Aday Mara. He has an incredible mix of physicality, athleticism, and talent that make him versatile sufficient to play inside and outside. He can deal with the ball to get to the rim, spot up from three, or rating in isolation on the inside. Defensively, he’s powerful and has created benefits for his workforce with 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per sport.
He’s cooled off a bit from three since beginning the season taking pictures 40% from deep. His leap shot taking place is essential to his slot in San Antonio. If he’s hitting threes, he’d be an superior match subsequent to Wembanyama. He may defend the rim alongside him and additional construct out the workforce’s versatile offensive expertise. His upside could also be capped a bit together with his age, nevertheless it’s not exhausting to check him coming in and contributing to profitable on day one.
Keaton Wagler, 6-6 guard, Illinois
2026 stats: 17.5 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists; 47.7% FG, 43.5% 3PT, 82.6% FT
The Spurs most likely don’t want one other guard, however they may use a lights-out shooter. Wagler, the freshman from Illinois, would offer precisely that. Wagler made headlines after dropping a whopping 46 factors on Sep 11 taking pictures from three in opposition to Purdue over the weekend. Regardless of being a three-star prospect popping out of highschool, Wagler has established himself among the many elite gamers within the draft.
Wagler’s spotlight talent is his taking pictures. He’s bought a fast launch and can make groups pay in the event that they sag off or shut out late. He’s getting higher and higher each sport as a major playmaker, however he can even play off the ball. He isn’t a high-level athlete, and he positively must get stronger to play on the subsequent degree, however Wagler brings a high-level talent and one which the Spurs positively want.
If San Antonio chosen Wagler, he may play alongside their different guards off the ball and provides the Spurs one other ball-handler and passer to get Wembanyama the ball. You may name his choice a triple-down on a workforce constructed with a number of, greater ball-handlers. In contrast to the others, this one would give San Antonio the knockdown shooter they’ve been needing.
Joshua Jefferson, 6-8 ahead, Iowa State
2026 stats: 17.4 factors, 7.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists; 50% FG, 40.4% 3PT, 71.5% FT
Draft consultants are torn on Jefferson. Some have him within the lottery; others have him within the second spherical. The Iowa State senior is without doubt one of the most impactful gamers on the most effective groups in school basketball. He’s some extent ahead with a excessive basketball IQ, sturdy body, and NBA-level athleticism. He’s a real statsheet stuffer, placing up two triple-doubles for the Cyclones this season.
Jefferson’s taking pictures means has been a query mark for his total profession. This season, he’s answered these questions by taking pictures 40.4% from deep on 2.9 makes an attempt per sport. Watching Jefferson, it’s clear he nonetheless doesn’t have nice contact, together with some ending means across the basket, nevertheless it’s good to see a few of these spot-up threes go down for him this yr.
Alongside Wembanyama, Jefferson would give the Spurs a wise positional defender who can deal with the ball and act as a secondary playmaker. He’d thrive in San Antonio’s transition sport and match proper into what they wish to do defensively as a wise positional defender. If he can knock down threes on the subsequent degree, he could possibly be a long-term NBA starter. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie wrote that he’s the closest factor he has seen to Draymond Inexperienced’s school tape. Whether or not he climbs boards and the Spurs need to take him within the lottery or within the second spherical, Jefferson needs to be on San Antonio’s radar come draft day.
