Can Shaedon Sharpe Fall to Spurs in Latest ESPN Mock Draft?

Brian Wright made it clear during his pre-draft presser Wednesday: the Spurs are going with the "best player available" approach

With the 2022 NBA Draft just a little over 24 hours away Thursday night in Brooklyn, the San Antonio Spurs still probably don't know who exactly they'll take with the No. 9 overall pick. It all comes down to how the dominos fall in front of them. 

San Antonio general manager Brian Wright said during his pre-draft presser Wednesday that this uncertainty has the team in a spot where the "best player available" approach is the best option. 

"We can add size, we can add guards," Wright said. "We have to continue to build this out and we've always taken the approach of 'best available player'. And if the best available player is a guard, we have no issue taking that person. And then you figure things out. That's how we've always approached and how we'll continue to approach the draft."

"It's not just positions and size," he said. "So what we would hope to have is versatility."

If that's the case, then maybe the updated mock draft ESPN released Wednesday could be a sign of how things might play out for the Spurs. And if Kentucky Wildcats guard Shaedon Sharpe remains on the board at No. 9, it would be hard to argue that there's a better player available. 

No. 9 - Shaedon Sharpe, Guard/Wing, Kentucky

Shaedon Sharpe has not been a common projection for the Spurs in mock drafts in recent weeks. In ESPN's latest release, San Antonio is projected to pass on popular names like Johnny Davis, Jeremy Sochan, and Jalen Duren.

Sharpe, who is arguably the best athlete in the draft, participated in a 1-on-1 workout with the Spurs. He explained in his pre-draft media availability that it went "really good." If he were to be selected, he sees his skill-set being a strong fit to match the versatility Wright mentioned. 

"If I play with them and end up in San Antonio, I think it will be a good team," Sharpe said. "I feel like I can really help them by scoring the ball and playing defense."

Here's what ESPN had to say about the pick: 

"The Spurs have quite a few young players in the backcourt but are in full-fledged talent-acquisition mode and will be thinking hard about picking the best long-term prospect they can acquire with this pick. Sharpe is oozing with talent, possessing elite physical tools with his exceptional frame, length, and explosiveness, to go along with dynamic perimeter shooting ability. There was a reason Sharpe was the No. 1-ranked player in his high school class, but his lack of experience and how little he has been evaluated might make it difficult for a team picking higher than this to roll the dice on him."

The Spurs could find themselves in the perfect position to land Sharpe at No. 9, as his lack of collegiate tape and overall experience might feel like a risk for other teams selecting in the top five or just outside of it. The Portland Trail Blazers have been rumored as a team to watch with a selection of Sharpe at No. 7, but anything can happen before Thursday night.

Here are the rest of the projected picks for the Spurs: 

No. 20 - Blake Wesley, Guard, Notre Dame

Taking Wesley, a quick-twitch scoring guard to develop would add key depth to a backcourt that could potentially lose Lonnie Walker IV in free agency.

Wesley, who has nice size to work with at 6-5, 185 and will only continue to grow, averaged 14.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 steals during one season with the Fighting Irish.

No. 25 - Kennedy Chandler, Guard, Tennessee 

Here's what the mock had to say about Chandler, who could be sneaky good pick for teams late in first round despite his limited size: 

"With three first-round picks at their disposal and a roster that is far from settled, the Spurs can afford to take a long view in selecting the best player available regardless of positional fit. After a rocky start, Chandler emerged as one of the premier point guards in the college game in the second half of the season, showing blazing speed, dynamic ball-handling and passing ability, and an increasingly consistent pull-up jumper. His measurements (6-1, 172 pounds with a 6-5½ wingspan) are what might keep him out of the top 20 like his talent suggests, but didn't prevent him from playing outstanding defense and leading the SEC in steals. His proven ability to play off the ball in two- and three-guard lineups should be attractive as well."

No. 38 - Caleb Houstan, Forward, Michigan

Houstan started all 34 games for the Wolverines as a freshman last season. The 6-8, 205-pound forward averaged 10.1 points, four rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He shot 38.4 percent from the floor and 35.5 percent from deep. 

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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