Spurs Final Mock Draft: Who Could SA Pick After Victor Wembanyama?

After Victor Wembanyama is off the board to the San Antonio Spurs at No. 1, a cloud of mystery will immediately hover over the rest of the draft.

There's not much suspense surrounding the San Antonio Spurs and who they'll take with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft on Thursday. French phenom Victor Wembanyama is the inevitable selection, as he's set to take over as the new star on a budding Spurs squad.

But after he's off the board, a cloud of mystery will immediately hover over the rest of the draft, even for the Charlotte Hornets at pick No. 2.

The Spurs currently don't have another first-round pick, though a mid-draft trade could potentially happen to help San Antonio hop back into the lottery or right outside of it. As of now, the Spurs hold the No. 33 and No. 44 overall picks in the second round.

And in its final mock draft before the real thing, ESPN revealed its predictions for the Spurs at this stage of the draft. 

Pick No. 33 - Colby Jones, F, Xavier

Pick No. 44 - Julian Strawther, F, Gonzaga

Despite the public clamoring for the Spurs to acquire a new lead guard this offseason, ESPN thinks San Antonio will go in a different, but interesting direction by selecting two forwards with guard-like traits.

Both Jones and Strawther showed out in the NCAA Tournament this past spring. Jones and the Xavier Musketeers made it to the Sweet 16 while Strawther rallied Gonzaga to the Elite Eight behind some clutch play.

Jones stands 6-6, 205 pounds with a bag of versatile tricks. He averaged 15 points, 5.7 rebounds and a team-high 4.4 assists this past season while also leading Xavier with 1.3 steals per game. Combine his play-making ability with a proven feel for scoring, and Jones becomes an exciting option for the Spurs to consider in the early part of the second round.

As for Strawther, who stands 6-7, 205, the strength is in the scoring and shooting. He averaged 15.2 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists last season while hitting respectable 40.8 percent of his 3-point shots.

Look no further than his 40-point performance in Gonzaga's 82-67 win over Portland on Jan. 28, as Strawther went 8 of 12 from 3-point range and 14 of 21 from the field. His fearless and confident knack for scoring could intrigue San Antonio late in the draft.

However, the Spurs have built a reputation of selecting players in the second round that are hardly on anyone else's draft board. It might be a waste of time to try and guess what they will do once Wembanyama has been secured.

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You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7

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