The San Antonio Spurs took a major step forward in their rebuild last week. On a tense night, the Spurs won out when they were granted the first pick in the NBA Draft lottery. That gave them the privilege of expected generational talent Victor Wembanyama. The French superstar has been the presumptive first-overall pick for years now.
The Spurs have missed the playoffs in the last four seasons and won just 22 games in the 2022/23 campaign. That’s an eight-game dropoff compared to the season prior. The most recent season included dismal 1-win months in November and February. However, moves during the season, which pointed to a tank job, have set up the Spurs nicely in terms of draft capital. However, recent rumors indicate the Spurs might not be done yet.
Spurs Looking For Another First Rounder
According to Rafael Barlowe of NBA Big Board, “The San Antonio Spurs are said to be working the phones looking for deals to acquire an additional first-round pick, preferably in the lottery, to add a point guard.” The rumor comes after reports that the Spurs met with PGs Cason Wallace and Amen Thompson at the NBA Combine.
Both players are intriguing prospects. However, both will likely come at a steep price. Thompson is expected to be off the board by the fourth pick, going either third or fourth. While the Spurs do have a wealth of picks, teams will be wary. No one wants to provide the Spurs with too many elite picks in this year’s stacked draft. Meanwhile, Kentucky’s Cason Wallace is expected to go early in the double-digit picks. While as not as steep a price, the Spurs can still expect to pay heavily to trade back up that high in the first round. This is just the latest in a bevy of trade stories surrounding the first few picks of the draft. The Blazers are reportedly willing to trade the third-overall pick in order to add an “elite” small forward. Meanwhile, the Rockets are fielding multiple calls about the fourth-overall pick.
[via]
