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The San Antonio Spurs have been cellar dwellers the past few seasons. However, make no mistake, the Spurs have a bright future ahead, especially with NBA Rookie of the Year winners Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle in tow. In addition to this, a trade deadline move for De'Aaron Fox gave the Spurs an additional star. If that wasn't enough, San Antonio can also look forward to the 2025 NBA Draft, which is stacked with talent, where the Spurs will be selecting with the second overall pick.
Throughout history, the Spurs have selected several notable players with a lottery pick. In fact, the franchise is historically one of the best decision-makers on draft nights. Here are the San Antonio Spurs' 10 best lottery picks in history.
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1. Tim Duncan – 1997
Tim Duncan is the best player in Spurs franchise history. Throughout his career, Duncan only suited up for the Spurs. He finished his 19-year NBA career with averages of 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.2 blocks per game. Widely regarded as The Big Fundamental, Duncan elevated the Spurs from cellar dwellers into legitimate championship contenders.
As the franchise star, he helped San Antonio win five NBA titles, three of which saw him win NBA Finals MVP. Duncan also become only the second Spur to win NBA MVP, taking the award in 2002 and 2003. Thanks to a decorated career, it wasn't a surprise that Duncan was eventually inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the Class of 2020.
2. David Robinson – 1987
The next best Spurs player in franchise history was David Robinson, who was the first lottery pick and top overall pick selected by the franchise. Selected as the first overall pick of the 1987 NBA Draft, the Spurs initially had to wait for Robinson to finish up his obligations with the U.S. Navy. However, the wait was ultimately worth it.
Robinson turned out to be as great as advertised, as he injected some hope into the franchise. In his 14-year NBA career, the 7-foot-1 big man averaged 21.1 points, 10.6 rebounds, and 3.0 blocks per game. He's one of only four players to accomplish a quadruple-double in the NBA and became the first Spurs player to win NBA MVP. But more importantly, Robinson helped the Spurs capture a pair of NBA titles.
3. Victor Wembanyama – 2023
Prior to the 2023 NBA Draft, Victor Wembanyama was the consensus best talent of his draft class. As a result, the Spurs selected him with the first overall pick. And despite all the hype, the French stalwart ultimately lived up to the hype. Wembanyama went on to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year honors in dominant fashion as he also led the NBA in blocks.
Fast forward to today, Wembanyama cemented himself as the current face of the Spurs by earning his first All-Star Game appearance as a sophomore, while leading the league in rejections for the second straight season. For as long as Wembanyama stays healthy, San Antonio is on the right track to become a dynasty.
4. Stephon Castle – 2024
After Wembanyama took the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year honors, Spurs fans should have plenty to be excited about after Stephon Castle came away with the 2025 NBA Rookie of the Year Award, making it two straight San Antonio players to win it. Castle was selected with the fourth overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft.
The UConn standout gave a good account of himself in his rookie year. He put up 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. It's safe to say that Castle will be a part of the Spurs' core moving forward given that he has proven to be a great fit in the Spurs system while having the potential to step up when the team needs him to.
5. Sean Elliott – 1989
Two years after Robinson was selected with the first overall pick, the Spurs opted to go with Sean Elliott with the third overall pick of the 1989 NBA Draft. Elliott went on to become a two-time NBA All-Star with career averages of 14.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game.
He was a key player during the Spurs' championship in 1999. Elliott knocked down a game-winning 3-point basket against the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of the 1999 Western Conference Finals despite nearly stepping out of bounds. The iconic play is widely known as the Memorial Day Miracle, especially after San Antonio escaped with a crucial 86-85 win.
6. Jeremy Sochan – 2022
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Drafted with the ninth overall pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Jeremy Sochan is currently establishing himself as one of the Spurs' cornerstones thanks to his energy and defense. In three seasons with San Antonio, Sochan is averaging 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game. The 6-foot-8 Polish power forward may not have the prettiest numbers. However, it's his contributions that transcend the box score that make him an important player in the Spurs' future.
7. Devin Vassell – 2020
Another lottery pick that has established his place in the Spurs rotation is Devin Vassell. Selected in the first round with the 11th overall pick at the 2020 NBA Draft, Vassell has shown a significant improvement in his numbers. In his rookie year, he only tallied 5.5 points per game. Since then, the 6-foot-5 shooting guard has improved his production to double-digit scoring in the past four seasons.
While there's still room for improvement in Vassell's game, there's no doubt that scoring is his best asset. Nonetheless, you can count on him to continue developing his game, especially when he was picked over Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton.
8. Willie Anderson – 1988
Selected as the 10th overall pick of the 1988 NBA Draft, there's no doubt that Willie Anderson was as good as advertised coming out of Georgia. Anderson averaged 18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game in his rookie season. His production helped him finish as the runner-up for the 1989 NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Furthermore, Anderson also snagged a place at the All-Rookie First Team selections.
9. Johnny Dawkins – 1986
Although not exactly a household name, Johnny Dawkins had productive seasons with the Spurs. At the 1986 NBA Draft, Dawkins was taken with the 10th overall pick by San Antonio. The 6-foot-2 point guard played for the franchise during its darker years, when the team was still finding its footing in the NBA.
Nonetheless, Dawkins still gave a good account of himself. He averaged 13.0 points, 5.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in three seasons for San Antonio.
10. Rob Dillingham – 2024
Aside from selecting Castle at the 2024 NBA Draft, the Spurs also picked up Rob Dillingham. However, they traded the promising 6-foot-3 guard to the Minnesota Timberwolves. For Dillingham, he emerged as a solid addition for the Wolves, averaging 4.5 points per game in 49 outings.
Given that San Antonio already had a crowded backcourt, Dillingham was a better fit in Minnesota. Playing behind an aging Mike Conley helped him showcase his wares in spurts.
