NBA Draft: Who Should Spurs Take in Second Round?

The San Antonio Spurs have a pair of second-round picks to work with in this year's NBA Draft.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 8, 2023

NBA Draft: Who Should Spurs Take in Second Round? /

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San Antonio Spurs

This year's NBA Draft is headlined by the San Antonio Spurs, who should take Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in two weeks' time.

However, the Spurs also have two second-round picks to work with at Nos. 33 and 45.

Yahoo! Sports curated a mock draft and sent Gonzaga forward Julian Strawther to the Spurs with the No. 33 pick.

"Although Strawther will be entering the 2023 NBA Draft after three college seasons, his age shouldn’t turn teams away. He entered the 2022 NBA Draft but opted to bet on himself and spend one more season at Gonzaga," SI writes. "He’s built like a wing, but can also play the off-ball guard spot which opens up his versatility on both ends."

Strawther has played elite basketball on the college level and that experience should make him a more immediate contributor than some of his younger draft class counterparts. At 6-7, Strawther can play a couple different positions, making him desirable for the Spurs.

Fans may remember Strawther from his game-winning three from the logo in the Sweet 16 against UCLA.

As for pick No. 45, the Spurs were slated to select Arkansas junior guard Ricky Council IV, who could be a steal for San Antonio.

"Regardless of the limitations, Council should be a second-round steal for an NBA team next summer if he isn't taken in round one," SI writes. "Even playing alongside alongside two potential lottery picks in Nick Smith Jr. and Anthony Black, he was the most impactful scorer on the roster."

Council played two years at Wichita State before transferring to Arkansas, and could help fill San Antonio's void at the point guard position.

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Published Jun 8, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.