Rumors linking the San Antonio Spurs to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft “haven’t gone away,” according to NBA insider Marc Stein.
Stein reported some still question whether the pick could be in play despite Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields publicly indicating the franchise will stand pat.
San Antonio’s 22-60 record points to how it needs a further infusion of talent to power its rebuild around Victor Wembanyama.
The 20-year-old might have actually exceeded expectations as a rookie, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.6 blocks en route to finishing as the runner-up in the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Beyond Wembanyama, it’s difficult to say whether the Spurs have another true cornerstone who can pair with him long-term.
The franchise might be able to find that kind of piece in the draft. Thanks to owning the fourth and eighth overall selections, the front office can take two cracks at the lottery and hope at least one is, or those picks can be packaged together to move further up the board.
In his most recent mock draft, Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman projected the Spurs to take UConn guard Stephon Castle and Providence guard Devin Carter.
One advantage to doing something aggressive in the draft — with an offer centered largely around picks — is that it wouldn’t significantly accelerate San Antonio’s timeline or impact the payroll in a big way.
As much as the Spurs will want to improve, moving too fast could box them in and limit their long-term ceiling.
The New Orleans Pelicans pulled off a blockbuster on the heels of Anthony Davis’ rookie season, acquiring Jrue Holiday from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013.
At the time, the deal looked like a home run for New Orleans because it landed a dynamic young guard who was an All-Star the previous year. Instead, the Pelicans never reached the heights they expected. Davis tasted the playoffs just twice during his time in the Big Easy before his trade to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Spurs shouldn’t already feel rushed to assemble a playoff contender around Wembanyama. A draft-centric trade wouldn’t necessarily signal the expectations are that high so soon.