San Antonio Spurs: The Complete 2024 NBA Draft Guide
At long last, the San Antonio Spurs will decide who the next players to put on the iconic Silver & Black threads will be.
Live from Brooklyn, New York, is the next class of NBA rookies, all of which will be sitting in anticipation awaiting the coveted phone call with a — for the most part — unfamiliar area code. It might not take long, but in the short time they speak with the voice on the other end of the line, their future is forever changed.
One year ago, Victor Wembanyama experienced that. He made his way, custom suit and all, to the main stage before putting on a hat with the Spurs' logo on it and sitting on a couch next to his siblings, Eve and Oscar. That's when the waterworks started.
"Hearing that sentence from Adam Silver," Wembanyama said in-between tears . "I've dreamed of it so much. Hearing that, I've just got to cry. ... I've [just] accomplished something I've been dreaming of my whole life. ... I'm a damn Spur."
LOOK BACK: Who Is Spurs' Newest Savior Victor Wembanyama?
This year, there isn't quite a Wembanyama-esque prospect. One player doesn't tower over the rest, hit 3-pointers at a rate never-seen-before or sprint down the court and back in four seconds, but that doesn't mean there isn't plenty of talent in the 2024 NBA Draft.
Even beyond the lottery, teams will have to work extra hard to find the hidden gems of the class — the Spurs included, once they get beyond their two lottery picks. That only adds anticipation to the beginning of the NBA season, but we aren't there, yet.
The next two days of action are solely about the prospects and what they can bring to the table as professionals.
That being said, here's everything you need to know about this year's draft:
How to Watch & Draft Order
The 2024 NBA Draft will be streamed nationally on ESPN and ABC beginning at 7 p.m. CST, but fans can also follow along here as each pick is announced.
New to this year is a two-day format separating the first and second rounds, so be sure to bookmark this page into Thursday, as the second round will be updated as it becomes available starting at 3 p.m CST.
Below is the full draft order, separated by round:
Round 1
1. Atlanta selects Zaccharie Risacher (SF, JL Bourg)
2. Washington selects Alex Sarr (F, Perth Wildcats)
3. Houston selects Reed Sheppard (PG, Kentucky)
4. San Antonio selects Stephon Castle (G, UConn)
5. Detroit selects Ron Holland II (PG, Kentucky)
6. Charlotte selects Tidjane Salaun (F, Cholet Basket)
7. Portland selects Donovan Clingan (C, UConn)
8. San Antonio selects Rob Dillingham (PG, Kentucky)
-- Spurs traded Dillingham to Minnesota for picks --
9. Memphis selects Zach Edey (C, Purdue)
10. Utah selects Cody Williams (F, Colorado)
11. Chicago selects Matas Buzelis (SF, G League Ignite)
12. Oklahoma City selects Nikola Topic (PG, Crvena zvezda)
13. Sacramento selects Devin Carter (SG, Providence)
14. Portland selects Bub Carrington (G, Pittsburgh)
-- Trail Blazers traded Carrington to Washington as part of the Deni Avdija deal --
15. Miami selects Kel'el Ware (C, Indiana)
16. Philadelphia selects Jared McCain (PG, Duke)
17. Los Angeles Lakers selects Dalton Knecht (SF, Tennessee)
18. Orlando selects Tristan da Silva (SF, Colorado)
19. Toronto selects Ja'Kobe Walter (SF, Baylor)
20. Cleveland selects Jaylon Tyson (SG, California)
21. New Orleans selects Yves Missi (C, Baylor)
22. Phoenix selects DaRon Holmes II (F, Dayton)
-- Suns traded Holmes II to Nuggets for picks --
23. Milwaukee selects A.J. Johnson (PG, Illawarra)
24. New York selects Kyshawn George (F, Miami)
-- Knicks traded George to Washington for picks --
25. New York selects Pacome Dadiet (F, Ratiopharm Ulm)
26. Washington selects Dillon Jones (G, Weber State)
-- Wizards traded Jones to New York, which then traded him to Oklahoma City --
27. Minnesota selects Terrence Shannon Jr. (F, Illinois)
28. Phoenix selects Ryan Dunn (F, Virginia)
29. Utah selects Isaiah Collier (PG, USC)
30. Boston selects Baylor Scheierman (F, Creighton)
Round 2
31. Toronto selects Jonathan Mogbo (C, San Francisco)
32. Utah selects Kyle Filipowski (PF, Duke)
33. Milwaukee selects Tyler Smith (SF, G League Ignite)
34. Portland selects Tyler Kolek (G League Ignite)
-- Trail Blazers Kolek to New York for picks --
35. San Antonio selects Johnny Furphy (SG, Kansas)
-- Spurs traded Furphy to Indiana for cash and its second-round pick --
36. Indiana selects Juan Nuñez (PG, Spain)
-- Pacers traded Nuñez to San Antonio for the No. 35 overall pick --
37. Minnesota selects Bobi Klintman (PF, Sweden)
-- Timberwolves traded Klintman to Pistons as part of the Wendell Moore Jr. deal --
38. New York selects Ajay Mitchell (PG, UC Santa Barbara)
-- Knicks traded Mitchell to Thunder for No. 40 overall pick --
39. Memphis selects Jaylen Wells (SG, Washington State)
40. Portland selects Osasere Ighodaro (PF, Marquette)
-- Thunder traded Ighodaro to New York, which then traded him to Suns --
41. Philadelphia selects Adem Bona (C, UCLA)
42. Charlotte selects K.J. Simpson (PG, Colorado)
43. Miami selects Nikola Djurisić (SG, Serbia)
-- Heat traded Djurisić to Atlanta for No. 44 pick and cash --
44. Houston selects Pelle Larsson (SG, Arizona)
-- Larsson's draft rights belong to the Heat in prior deal --
45. Sacramento selects Jamal Shead (PG, Houston)
-- Kings traded Shead to Toronto as part of a prior deal --
46. LA Clippers select Cameron Christie (SG, Minnesota)
47. Orlando selects Antonio Reeves (SG, Kentucky)
-- Magic traded Reeves to New Orleans for picks --
48. San Antonio selects Harrison Ingram (SF, North Carolina)
49. Indiana selects Tristen Newton (PG, UConn)
50. Indiana selects Enrique Freeman (PF, Akron)
51. Washington selects Melvin Ajinca (SG, Saint-Quentin Basketball)
-- Wizards traded Ajinca to Dallas as part of a prior deal --
52. Golden State selects Quenten Post (C, Boston College)
-- Warriors traded pick No. 52 earlier in the day before re-acquiring it --
53. Detroit selects Cam Spencer (SG, UConn)
-- Spencer was traded by Timberwolves, who had the pick, to Memphis --
54. Boston selects Anton Watson (PF, Gonzaga)
55. Los Angeles Lakers select Bronny James (PG, USC)
56. Phoenix selects Kevin McCullar Jr.
-- Suns traded McCullar Jr. to New York as part of prior deal --
57. Minnesota selects Ulrich Chomche Jr. (PF, NBA Academy)
-- Timberwolves traded Chomche Jr. to Raptors as part of prior deal --
58. Dallas selects Ariel Hukporti (C, MHP Riesen)
-- Mavericks traded Hukporti to Knicks for picks --
-- Philadelphia and Phoenix each forfeited a pick --
8 Realistic 1st-Round Spurs Prospects
While there are plenty of players available in the first round, the order in which they're taken largely depends on each team's individual needs and willingness to take a chance on certain prospects.
Again, the Spurs aren't an exception to this, but they're among the few lucky teams with multiple first-round picks — and to sweeten the deal, both come in the lottery — meaning they'll need to exercise extra care in their strategy when it comes to landing two players within four picks of each other.
Not much is known about how those picks will shape out, but it's best to be prepared to know the names of whoever they might be.
Here are the eight most realistic first-round prospects to keep an eye on for San Antonio:
1. Stephon Castle, SG - UConn
Castle is easily an NBA-caliber player. Despite only having one season of experience, it was clear from the jump that his skillset was not only going to translate, but it'd make him a big asset to a team with good coaching.
The 19-year-old has what it takes to be a solid NBA defender, bringing effort and instensity to any matchup he faced last season. He's got good pace and a quick change of direction on him, so as he transitions from facing collegiate ball handlers to professional ones, he won't be nearly as lost.
While there are plenty of upsides and a high potential for Castle, however, his shooting certainly needs work, and he still has more to prove before he can be trusted as a true point guard.
On the season, he shot under 30 percent from 3-point range — an unacceptable figure — but showed flashes of strong shooting on shots closer to the basket. If he's able to work on his pure shooting, it'd certainly help round him out as he searches for a role on any NBA squad.
If San Antonio was to draft Castle, they'd likely do so with the No. 4 pick. High stakes, but if he pans out, he could be a true combo guard capable of wearing many hats.
Read more here.
2. Rob Dillingham, PG - Kentucky
Dillingham is — in a perfect world — the point guard San Antonio has been searching for.
The long saga of finding a player to fill the one spot began with Jeremy Sochan as the Spurs tried to mold a power forward into a pass-first ball-handler, but after that was clearly not going to work, the attention shifted to Tre Jones.
Jones is still a very capable point guard, but he doesn't seem to be the starter of the future to play alongside Wembanyama — though he's certainly still an asset to the team. Dillingham, if the Spurs were to draft him, would be expected to play that role, and the good news for them is that he seems to not only understand that, but want it.
Despite playing like the point guard San Antonio is likely envisioning, Dillingham doesn't quite meet the look of the point guard they'd want.
Weighing in at just 164 points and standing 6-foot-3 at his tallest, it's clear that the 19-year-old is undersized — smaller than even New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson.
Sure, players can find success with a small frame on offense — as Dillingham's shooting splits show — but the main concern with adding him comes on the defensive end. Dillingham lines up with some of the NBA's smallest players, but wasn't much of a standout on defense at Kentucky, which doesn't bode well for any team using their imagination to determine where he could fit on the court.
So, unless the Spurs see Dillingham as an dangerous offensive threat with a much higher ceiling on defense, they might not be totally moved to select Dillingham with their No. 4 overall pick.
Read more here.
3. Devin Carter, G - Providence
Carter is a point guard who looks, acts and plays like one.
Coming from Providence — and before that, South Carolina — the 22-year-old has no shortage of collegiate experience. If he were to join the Spurs, he’d already be older than Wembanyama and Sidy Cissoko, which gives him a few bonus points on the maturity ladder. At his best, he was a do-it-all star for the Friars, which is a big reason for his high draft stock.
Carter averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game and oftentimes displayed his athleticism on two-handed rejections or rebounds. He plays solid defense and would fit right in with Jeremy Sochan, Cissoko and, of course, Wembanyama on that end.
Despite his strong numbers last year, Carter did struggle mightily from deep during his first two seasons. That doesn’t diminish what he was able to do as a volume shooter for the Friars, but with a major adjustment coming his way going from college to the NBA, keeping that percentage up will be a challenge.
Much of Carter’s contributions on offense came off-ball, meaning the Spurs might be in a position to force a naturally off-ball player to play on-ball and set up an offense in the half court once again. It didn’t exactly go well last time, and while Carter did prove his ability to set up his teammates, he’ll need to make it more of a priority in order to truly gel with the other playmakers in San Antonio.
Read more here.
4. Donovan Clingan, C - UConn
With his height, it’s hard not to immediately think of rising sophomore Victor Wembanyama when looking at the prospect Clingan is, but the two players are vastly different.
Where Wembanyama thrives in the half court and on-ball as a playmaker, Clingan does in the post and around the rim. He brings a true big-man presence to any team he’s a part of on both sides of the ball, and would fill a similar role for the Spurs. If San Antonio did decide to add him, Wembanyama would get the freedom to play as a non-center big.
On defense, Clingan provides a similar level of comfort that Wembanyama’s teammates spoke to all season, and would further boost the strong defense that San Antonio has begun to build around Wembanyama, Sochan and even Cissoko.
Clingan is a big man in every sense of the word. He brings strong rim protection and inside scoring, which is undoubtedly an important skill, but with that comes the downside. Outside of the paint, Clingan struggles to defend guards in space and behind the arc, he’s not a reliable scorer.
San Antonio wouldn’t be needing him to shoot the 3, but it means he’s not a floor spacer the way that Wembanyama and some of the league’s best centers are. It might not be a condemning trait, but is certainly something worth looking into.
Read more here.
5. Nikola Topic, PG - Crvena zvezda
Topić isn’t quite an oversized guard, but he does have height to give him an advantage as far as court vision on offense goes. Topic is a strong passer, which has been on full display throughout his professional career to this point, so making him the lead ball handler would seemingly be a no-brainer for San Antonio as it looks to surround Wembanyama with playmakers.
Inside the arc, Topić has proven to be an efficient scorer, and his ability to get to the rim is one of his more obvious strengths. The majority of his points come inside the paint, as the 18-year-old is nimble near the rim and well-versed with the backboard when it comes to acrobatic finishes.
As a ball handler, Topić exudes confidence. He’s quick-minded and decisive when in control of the offense, so as he develops, that’s likely to continue to be the case. That being said, there are some pieces of his game that have yet to develop, leaving the Serbian guard with some improvement areas.
Finding a way to make Topić an all-around threat is certainly going to be a priority for any team that drafts him. The other thing to watch, however, is how healthy he’ll be once he returns.
Topić had to miss extended time last season with a knee injury before returning for just three games and leaving again with an injury to the same area. The second time around — the ACL tear he’s currently recovering from — was much more serious, and considering he’s still yet to turn 19, causes reason for concern for the Spurs, who would much rather select a player who’s health they can count on.
They'll have to decide if that's worth the risk.
Read more here.
6. Matas Buzelis, SF - NBA G League Ignite
With his size, Buzelis fits the frame of an NBA wing capable of getting hot from the field. He has obvious athletic prowess and a nose for the game with a strong sense of defensive positioning.
As an on-ball defender, Buzelis could slow down opposing playmakers on the perimeter, and if done right, could force them into either a bad shot or giving up the ball. And with the pieces San Antonio already has, the latter could mean having to face Wembanyama down low, which could make for a strong one-two punch on defense.
Additionally, Buzelis has experience at the NBA level, coming from the G League Ignite program. He’s played against other professionals — including the Spurs’ 7-foot-4 phenom during the Rising Stars Challenge — and would enter the league already having a sense for its speed and style.
That being said, Buzelis needs to get stronger.
When driving in against defenders — which are only going to get stronger as he faces mainstay NBA rosters — the 19-year-old seemed to be thrown off of his path and wasn’t able to get the shots he was hoping to. Because of that, he didn’t quite have the consistency he’d have liked on the stat sheet.
As Buzelis ages and spends time in the NBA, he’ll likely put on muscle and learn how best to use his size to create space and open looks for himself. That ability isn’t quite there for him, yet, but for it to reach a productive level isn’t out of the question.
Read more here.
7. Reed Sheppard, PG - Kentucky
Sheppard doesn't necessarily bring size, so he makes up for it with his shooting ability.
Last season, the Kentucky guard averaged 12.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists on 52 percent shooting from behind the arc to make him not only well-rounded, but efficient. If he were to land in San Antonio, he'd be able to distribute the ball in the half court and knock down shots when needed, which makes him enticing to someone like Wembanyama.
Adding a reliable shooter who demands attention from opposing defenses is certainly a trait the Spurs ought to consider, especially when the same player also positions himself well on defense to get blocks and rebounds.
If Sheppard were to fall to No. 4 and be taken by San Antonio, however, he'd have to be taught how to create more for himself. He has the arsenal to set up his teammates, but when it comes to be his turn with the ball, the guard isn't strong at creating space for open looks.
Without that kind of capability, teams could force him to become purely a spot-up shooter or someone only useful in catch-and-shoot situations, and once opposing defenses get the hang of that, he'd become less of an asset and more of a work-in-progress.
That's the main fallback of his skillset, which isn't a deal breaker by any means, but certainly something for the Spurs to think about before selecting him if that's the route they're considering going.
Read more here.
8. Zaccharie Risacher, SF - JL Bourg
Risacher has a desirable frame on him. With a few extra inches of height that take him into the forward category, the Frenchman is a player that can find ways to impact the game around the rim on clean up and in the half court on both ends of the ball.
The 19-year-old is shooting north of 40 percent from behind the arc with JL Bourg, and has displayed a strong ability to make uncomfortable shots when needed. With the ball in his hands, Risacher can create space for himself, but also become nimble enough to be a dual threat from outside and closer to the rim, which makes him versatile.
If he develops quickly, he could easily become a reliable scorer for the Spurs in the middle, and especially with a star like Keldon Johnson to help teach him up, he'd likely be able to learn the system and become an instant impactor.
If there's something about Risacher's game that would be a big priority for the Spurs, it would be his tendency to stagnate when he needs to be the primary playmaker.
Yes, the forward can shoot at a reliable rate, but how often he gets to the free-throw line isn't comparable. He'd need to learn to create at a more effective rate in order to become a more well-rounded prospect, which the Spurs would certainly value.
Read more here.
A Few Names to Watch In Round 2
Thursday will be much slower of a day for every team across the league.
There will be still talent to spot in the draft's latter day — Manu Ginobili is proof of that — so the Spurs will by no means let up on their scouting and analysis, but figuring out who they see fit to fill bench roles and potential two-way contracts is much harder to gauge.
Here is a short list of names to look for in the range of when the Spurs will be selecting in Round 2:
- Kyle Filipowski, C - Kentucky
- Harrison Ingram, F - North Carolina
- Trentyn Flowers, F - Adelaide
- Jamal Shead, PG - Houston
- Cameron Christie, SG - Minnesota
- Kevin McCullar Jr., SF - Kansas
- Pelle Larsson, SF - Arizona
- Melvin Ajinca, SG - Saint-Quentin
- Tristen Newton, G - UConn
- Ulrich Chomche, C - NBA Academy
Finally, An Alternate Sarr-nario
Just because the Spurs have four picks throughout the two rounds of this year's draft doesn't mean they're required to use them.
As draft day now looms — hours ticking until San Antonio first hits the clock at No. 4 — there are rumblings that something else could be in the works for general manager Brian Wright and company.
One of those is that a deal surfaces between the Spurs and Atlanta Hawks in which San Antonio trades for the right to draft Alexandre Sarr at No. 1 overall.
Sarr has gone back-and-forth from the top of mock drafts and projections, as his unique size and skillset gives him an incredible upside — one similar to, but not quite at the level of, Wembanyama. If he pans out, he'd be another 7-foot Frenchman looking to change the league with his guard-like behavior on offense and strong defense.
He even said it himself.
"I think I'm a versatile defender," Sarr said of his game. "I can play inside-out on offense ... I can be impactful in the open floor and in pushing the ball in transition."
The best-case scenario for the Spurs if they elected to make a move for Sarr through the Hawks would be a second version of the player who's set to be their future and fortune for years to come.
Even if he doesn't end up being as good as Wembanyama, he'd be as close to him as one could get — not to mention learning from him at the same time — and would make for a tough day for any opposing defense ... or offense.
"I think it's important, especially in today's game, to be able to switch," Sarr said, addressing what he brings on defense. "You might play a different type of defensive scheme in the game. If you have players that can play different types of defensive schemes, I think it gives you a big, big advantage."
The worst-case scenario for the Spurs isn't any kind of doomsday, however. If they do make a deal for Sarr, and he doesn't pan out the way they'd hoped, they'd be out their picks this season and without a young point guard that they likely would have drafted had they not opted for Sarr.
By then, the ideal situation would be that an already-rostered player was equipped to fill that gap, or a veteran made their way to San Antonio to join forces with Wembanyama, but that's purely hypothetical. Chances are, it wouldn't come to that — Sarr is likely to well in the NBA.
Whether or not the Spurs do end up wanting to move up in this year's draft to take a chance on a potentially league-altering duo is yet to be seen. The possibly remains at large, but it's just as, if not more, likely that they resort to using the two top-10 picks they have. So, we'll just call it a "maybe."
Either way, San Antonio has a big night ahead of it, as does the entirety of its fanbase.
Coverage of the 2024 NBA Draft is set to begin at 7 p.m. CST.
It's time for a new era of Spurs.