Pre-Draft Outlook
Gifted guard Dejounte Murray finally turned the corner to become the two-way All-Star dynamo San Antonio envisioned when it drafted him in 2016, and the team is now well positioned to bolster the supporting cast with three first-round picks and an additional selection in the second round. San Antonio’s Draft assets give it flexibility to move up and down the board as well as the option of packaging those picks to land a difference-maker via a trade. The upcoming Draft marks the third consecutive year the Spurs are picking in the lottery. Sitting at ninth in the order, the club goes into the June draft with its highest position since 1997, when it grabbed Hall of Famer Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick.
Stat That Matters
+10 — The Spurs had a positive point differential for the season, outscoring their opponents by a total of 10 points over 82 games. They tied the 1976-77 Phoenix Suns (plus-60) for the worst record in NBA history (34-48) for a team with a positive point differential.
The Way To Go
San Antonio could go a variety of directions this year, and the Spurs’ three first-round picks gives them options to move up and down the order and grab the player they think fits best. Near the top of the first round, players like Arizona’s Bennedict Mathurin and Duke’s A.J. Griffin could supply some size at the wing positions where the club has a proven track record of developing talent. (Remember Kawhi Leonard?) If San Antonio opts to go big, which is an area of need, Duke’s Mark Williams and Memphis’ Jalen Duren could make for enticing first-round prospects.
Under Contract
G: Tre Jones
G: Dejounte Murray
G: Joshua Primo
G: Josh Richardson
G/F: Romeo Langford
G/F: Devin Vassell
F/G: Keldon Johnson
F: Keita Bates-Diop
F: Doug McDermott
F/C: Zach Collins
C: Jock Landale
C: Jakob Poeltl
Free Agents
G: DJ Stewart (restricted)
G/F: Lonnie Walker IV (restricted)
G/F: Joe Wieskamp (restricted)
F: Devontae Cacok (restricted)
F: Robert Woodard II (restricted)
Last year’s Draft
2021: Joshua Primo (12), Joe Wieskamp (41)
— Michael Wright