The San Antonio Spurs have earned a reputation for drafting well. It'll prove a key trait with generational talent Victor Wembanyama in the fold. But for all the success they've enjoyed in taking eventual franchise legends Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili later (really late in Ginobili's case) in the NBA Draft, they've also had several early misses recently.
They hope what's become a trend doesn't continue later this month, especially with two picks in the top ten.
Spurs' history of great NBA draft selections
Without including Wemby, Tim Duncan and David Robinson because of their prowess as generational prospects, San Antonio has drafted well, especially regarding star players.
In addition to selecting Parker with the 28th pick of the 2001 draft and Ginobili with the second to last pick of the 1999 draft, The Spurs added Kawhi Leonard outside the lottery after the Pacers picked “The Klaw” 15th in 2011 as part of a trade agreement for George Hill. Like with Parker, the second to last slotted picks of the first round in 2016 and '17 and '19 drafts, proved fruitful with Dejounte Murray, Derrick White and Keldon Johnson respectively.
Parker and Ginobili won four NBA championships on their way to the Hall of Fame. Leonard will be there as he enters the twilight of his career still playing at a very high level. Murray made an All-Star Game while White has been crucial to two Boston Celtics Finals appearances. Coming off a year in which he scored 22 points a game, Johnson served as the Spurs' third-leading scorer this past season.
Recent draft misses
Though Lonnie Walker didn't pan out, it's tough to call him a bust. The Spurs drafted him 18th and he's since averaged double figures in three different seasons while enjoying some nice moments with three teams since entering the league in 2018.
The 2019 NBA Draft is a different story. San Antonio took Luka Šamanić 19th that year. He lasted two seasons in the Alamo City, playing in just 36 games. Still just 24 years old, the 6-foot-11 Croatian forward is currently on the Utah Jazz's roster.
Drafting in the NBA Lottery for the second straight year in 2021, the Spurs took Josh Primo 12th. Less than a year and a half later, he was gone. The franchise abruptly released him in October 2022 after the then 19-year-old allegedly exposed himself to several women, including the team's sports psychologist who filed a lawsuit against Primo and the team, alleging multiple incidents of indecent exposure. Primo spent this past season as part of the Los Angeles Clippers organization before being waived in April.
The 2022 Draft hasn't proven nearly as bad, though the Spurs had three first-round picks that June. All of them are still on the Spurs roster, but to this point, no one would call Jeremy Sochan, taken 9th overall, Malaki Branham, chosen 20th or Blake Wesley selected at 25 budding stars. Sochan figures to have the biggest upside. How high is a fair question.
With the fourth and eighth picks this draft, the Black and Silver look to reverse recent history, while hearkening back to history of not too long ago.
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