While there was certainly some luck involved, the San Antonio Spurs knocked last year’s NBA Draft out of the park by landing generational talent Victor Wembanyama, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Now the Spurs have to try complementing Wembanyama with a group that can help take the Spurs from pretenders to contenders in the near future.
But the task isn’t nearly as simple as last year, where the Spurs could proudly select Wembanyama and sit back, knowing they already won the draft. This time, the Spurs have picks 4, 8, 35, and 48.
The good news is, the Spurs already know what they want from their upcoming draft class.
According to The Athletic’s Kelly Iko, the Spurs are specifically targeting a guard when the July 26 draft tips off.
“The Spurs, who recently worked out both Castle and Providence’s Devin Carter, have their eyes set on acquiring a guard on draft night, league sources said. Carter, Castle and Sheppard hold strong interest, with Carter’s impressive private showing resonating with Spurs brass.”
NBA insider Kelly Iko on San Antonio Spurs’ draft plans
Adding a guard, whether it be a point or shooting guard, makes a lot of sense for the Spurs, who already have a superstar in their frontcourt. Just imagine how lethal Gregg Popovich’s team could be for the foreseeable future if they landed a pick-and-roll partner who can help benefit from Wemby’s rim gravity to dissect defenses on the fly.
It won’t matter whether it’s a ball-handling, pass-first guard, or a knockdown shooter who can help space the floor, the Spurs need a lot of help in their backcourt and possessing four picks in the draft is a great way to find some capable pieces to build with.
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