For a franchise that’s used to winning and winning a lot, the San Antonio Spurs have had a few years now of dreadful play. The Spurs are on an 18-game losing streak, breaking the record of 17 set last season.
They’ve had four losing seasons in a row and on the way to a fifth. They’ve had only eight other losing seasons in franchise history.
They got Victor Wembanyama first overall in the last draft. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman is averaging 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Good numbers. The problem is, the Spurs haven’t been able to get wins with the supporting cast.
So, what to do? What can this franchise do to change its fortunes? Maybe not right away, maybe not this season, but something that could kickstart that trajectory?
Well, they have a ton of draft picks to play with. Just check it out:
San Antonio Spurs picks in upcoming NBA drafts
Year | Round | Team |
2024 | 1 | Spurs |
2024 | 1 | Raptors |
2024 | 2 | Pelicans, Bulls |
2024 | 2 | Lakers |
2025 | 1 | Spurs |
2025 | 1 | Hawks |
2025 | 1 | Bulls |
2025 | 2 | Spurs |
2025 | 2 | Raptors |
2025 | 2 | Bulls |
2026 | 1 | Spurs |
2026 | 1 | Hawks |
2026 | 2 | Pelicans, Trail Blazers |
2026 | 2 | Spurs |
2026 | 2 | Pacers, Heat |
2027 | 1 | Hawks |
2027 | 1 | Spurs |
2027 | 2 | Spurs |
2027 | 2 | Thunder, Rockets, Pacers, Heat |
2028 | 1 | Spurs |
2028 | 1 | Celtics |
2028 | 2 | Spurs |
2028 | 2 | Heat |
2028 | 2 | Pelicans |
2028 | 2 | Nuggets |
2029 | 1 | Spurs |
2029 | 2 | Pelicans |
2029 | 2 | Spurs |
2030 | 1 | Spurs |
2030 | 2 | Spurs |
2030 | 1 | Spurs |
2030 | 2 | Cavaliers |
Here are a couple of ideas.
Trade for Russell Westbrook
Yes, this sounds crazy. But think about it like this. Nobody goes all out all of the time on a basketball court, except maybe for Russell Westbrook.
He would be a great example for a team of young players, playing at full speed, even when things aren’t going well. He’s happy with getting assists, and the Spurs want to get the ball into Wemby’s hands. Westbrook would do that.
Westbrook is sitting on the Clippers bench, getting about 18 minutes per game since James Harden came to town. In San Antonio, he would play.
The only downside is his shooting. He doesn’t have that touch he had in the OKC days, when he had to hit that three-pointer he threw up because he shot instead of Kevin Durant.
Bu he’s relatively cheap, $3.8 million this season and $4 million next. And, you can’t trade for him until Jan. 15. But if you hold out a month, he might be a good fit for a stopgap and maybe to help a young team get some confidence.
Trade Keldon Johnson for a shooting guard
Outside of San Antonio, most NBA fans probably know little about Keldon Johnson. But the fifth-year player has seen his shooting, rebounding and assist numbers improve every season.
He has been mentioned as a possible trade candidate, and rightly so. If all the players on the Spurs roster who could potentially be moved, he’s the player who might bring the most useful return.