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Just as Cooper Flagg is the consensus top pick of the 2025 NBA Draft, Dylan Harper is widely considered the second-best prospect in the class. All things being equal, he'd almost certainly be the San Antonio Spurs' pick after the Dallas Mavericks beat them out for the number one selection on lottery night. And, barring a trade, he might be.
All things may not be equal for the Spurs now, though.
As talk swirls that the Silver and Black are a player to land Giannis Antetokounmpo, who's reportedly open to a future outside of the Milwaukee Bucks, the Spurs can offer the best package for the two-time league MVP.
San Antonio also has the 14th pick this June. It's yet another first-round selection they've amassed through 2031. They also have several young players who could help the Bucks immediately. Most importantly, the Spurs have Victor Wembanyama and appear to understand the importance of winning sooner rather than later by having added significant pieces over the last year.
Spurs options in pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo
In examining a potential trade for the “Greek Freak,” next month's second overall pick is the natural starting point. It allows Milwaukee options, including the chance to take Harper. The former guard at Rutgers is described as ‘NBA ready.' The Spurs could then offer the 14th selection. They also hold two first-round picks next summer, two first-rounders in 2028, two first-round selections in both 2030 and 2031. It's a war chest that also includes first-round picks in 2027 and 2029, so there is no shortage of what they could throw at the Bucks.
With the emergence of this season's Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle, and the addition of recent All-Star De'Aaron Fox, other young talented Spurs are expendable. Devin Vassell has served as the team's second leading scorer for the overwhelming majority of the last three seasons. Jeremy Sochan may be San Antonio's most versatile player; he certainly is on defense. Both are lottery picks, Vassell having gone 11th in 2020 while Sochan was taken ninth in 2022.
Then there's Keldon Johnson. A 22-point-per-game scorer two seasons ago, the former Kentucky Wildcat produces no matter how he's used, including in a sixth-man role over the last year and a half. They're the kinds of pieces that might entice a squad looking to avoid a total rebuild.
Now, imagine this same framework, but swap Harper for Castle. Common sense indicates Milwaukee would want one of the two in a trade for their nine-time All-Star. They may actually prefer the former UConn star, considering he's already shown he can excel in the NBA.
Should the Bucks choose to go full rebuild, see all of the Spurs' first-round picks above. They could hone in on a package centered on multiple first-rounders (including Harper or, by de facto, 20-year-old Castle), with current Spurs included to match salaries.
At 30 years old, the 2021 NBA Finals MVP and champion is coming off one of his best seasons. He averaged 30.4 points, 12 rebounds and 6.5. assists per game while shooting 60% from the field. He was even better in the playoff series loss to the Indiana Pacers, averaging 33 points, 15 rebounds, and shooting a tick better.
It's the kind of production the Spurs would love to pair with their 21-year-old generational talent set to enter his third NBA season. It's the cost that that'll dictate any move.
