An early mock draft from a notable NBA insider predicts the San Antonio Spurs to take a pair of players from two of the top programs in the nation during the opening round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
We are just a week away from the start of the San Antonio Spurs 2024-25 season. While the team had one of the worst records in the NBA last season, it proved pivotal for the growth of young star Victor Wembanyama. In year two for the French phenom, the team is expected to better with the help of future Hall-of-Famer Chris Paul.
Related: Where do the San Antonio Spurs land in our preseason NBA power rankings?
However, the team is still considered a longshot to earn a playoff spot this season, and adding more young pieces in next year’s NBA Draft will be another big opportunity for the franchise. And in 2025 the team very well could have two picks in the top 10 since they have the Hawks’ first-round pick from the Dejounte Murray trade.
San Antonio Spurs predicted to draft Duke star Kon Knueppel
This week, The Athletic NBA insider Sam Vecenie took an early look at next year’s draft. And based on early Las Vegas win total projections for every team, he expects the San Antonio Spurs to have the ninth and 10th overall picks next June. And with their first selection, he expects them to select Duke freshman guard Kon Knueppel.
“Knueppel is another player whom scouts continue to rave about after seeing Duke,” Vecenie wrote. “He’s often noted as being the team’s second-best player behind [Cooper] Flagg. And some have even said he’s the team’s best offensive player right now. A tremendous scorer at the EYBL and high school levels, Knueppel, with a thicker frame, doesn’t necessarily look the part of a high-level draft pick, and he doesn’t look overly long. However, he knocks down shots at a high level.”
Vecenie then expects the Spurs to follow up that pick and take another freshman. This time Connecticut wing Liam McNeeley.
“He’s an elite shooter for a teenager. And the third player from last season’s Montverde team to be projected here in the top 10,” he wrote. “McNeeley can hit shots off movement, but more than that, he has a terrific feel for the game. He’s not the most athletic player in the world. But he’s big and makes the right decisions every time he gets the ball.”
The NBA insider believes this is not as good a draft as some projections have claimed. But he feels the top of next year’s class has serious potential.
Related: Where does Victor Wembanyama rank among the 50 best NBA players in 2024-25?