With the 2024-25 NBA Regular season now in the rearview mirrors, 20 of the league’s 30 teams will look to compete for the NBA Championship through postseason play. However, for the remaining nine teams (the Phoenix Suns’ pick is owed to the Houston Rockets), their focus now shifts to the NBA Draft, where they’ll look to draft a franchise contributor to help them win games longer term.
Among these teams is the San Antonio Spurs. While phenom Victor Wembanyama’s All-Star sophomore campaign was cut short by injury, he will return to the court next year to continue his ascent up the NBA ranks. He’ll now be flanked by all-star guard De’Aaron Fox and likely Rookie of the Year winner Stephon Castle as the Spurs look to contend in the Western Conference. To complement this talented core, the Spurs will have the chance to add two rookies to their efforts this June, with a projected top-ten pick and another top-20 pick by way of the Atlanta Hawks’ Dejounte Murray package. With the right picks, San Antonio may be able to build an unstoppable young squad around the 7-foot-4 Wembanyama.
Projected First-Round Picks (Per Tankathon): No. 8 & No. 15
Team Needs: Rebounding, a long-term starting forward, three-point shooting
Prospect Watchlist: Derik Queen, Maryland
Next to Wembanyama, Queen could create a potent froncourt duo for the Spurs. His interior physicality and scoring skill contrasts with Wembanyama’s perimeter-oriented game, and can help sure up San Antonio’s reboudning shortcomings. This pairing not only potentially adds a new offenisve dynamic, especially in the two-man game with Fox, but aso works defensively as Wembanyama can cover for Queen’s shortcomings as a rim protector.
Prospect Watchlist: Kon Knueppel, Duke
/ Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
The Spurs haven’t been an above-average three-point shooting team in half a decade. Knueppel immediately helps to solve this problem with his 41% shooting from deep, potentially forming a lethal wing shooting duo next to Devin Vassell. Further, Knueppel is a sound pick-and-roll operator, with upside as an off-the-dribble secondary creator next to Wembanyama and Fox.
Prospect Watchlist: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
While Sorber’s freshman season prematurely ended due to a foot injury, the 19-year-old big man demonstrated his NBA readiness through his play this year. He’s a big body, standing at 6-foot-10 and weighing in at 255 lbs, and this manifests itself on the defensive end more than anywhere else. He’s a smart, mobile, athletic big, who averaged 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game at Georgetown. Sorber could help form one of the NBA’s most disruptive defensive duos next to Wembanyama should they select him in June.
