NBA Mock Draft: Spurs Take Pair of College Stars in Second Round

The San Antonio Spurs are taking Victor Wembanyama, but who else will the team add to its draft class?

Jeremy Brener | Jun 20, 2023

NBA Mock Draft: Spurs Take Pair of College Stars in Second Round /

In this story:

San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are already declared winners of the 2023 NBA Draft by taking Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick. However, they still have two other second-round picks to work with.

Whether or not the Spurs try and trade the picks, San Antonio could extract some serious value in such a deep draft class.

In The Ringer's latest mock draft, South Carolina forward GG Jackson is the pick for the Spurs at No. 33.

"Jackson has to be worth the risk at some point, despite his underwhelming freshman season and predraft run of workouts and interviews," The Ringer writes. "Maybe the Spurs would bet that their culture can help fix him?"

Jackson, a 6-8 forward who was originally the top-rated recruit for the high school class of 2023, re-classified to get to college and the NBA quicker. He's done just that, and even though he may not be a contributor right away, he could be worth the wait if the Spurs develop him properly.

At No. 44, the Spurs also took a recognizable college name in UConn big man Adama Sanogo, who was the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in the Huskies' path to a national championship this spring.

"San Antonio will need to pair a beefy center with Wembanyama," The Ringer writes. "Zach Collins could take on that role now, but he’s injury prone. Sanogo would be a good bet to absorb some tough matchups. And if he extends his range to 3, the Spurs could play 5 out while retaining size."

Sanogo may be a small big man at 6-7, but several centers who are challenged by height have gone on to have great careers. Having a player like Sanogo could allow Wembanyama to defend the perimeter without sacrificing rim protection. He's also played in some big games in his career already, and San Antonio could appreciate that clutch gene with a second-round flier.

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Spurs? Click Here.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Twitter.

Follow Inside the Spurs on Facebook.

Want even more San Antonio Spurs news? Check out the SI.com team page here

Published Jun 20, 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.