12 Thoughts After the Spurs Draft Stephon Castle, Trade Rob Dillingham

[Knoxxx]

This has been identified and discussed. But here is an article about how the Spurs may be making MIN 2030-31 as crazy as ATL 25-27:

Did the Spurs make a genius trade with the Timberwolves? (msn.com)

Minnesota star Anthony Edwards’ contract runs through the 2028-29 season, so he could leave small-market Minnesota as an unrestricted free agent by 2029. This potential departure could lead to the T-Wolves plummeting in the standings and turn the 2030 first-round pick into a lottery pick, adding significant value to the Spurs' future draft assets.

[heyheymymy]

Crazy how much we Spurs fans fussed on draft night when considering Castles potential it could be a night we all look back on fondly

[Uriel]

Three nights earlier, in a room not far from that practice court, all the members of the Spurs’ brain trust sat around a different table and came to a consensus. They were ready to draft a player at No. 8. They’d agreed on a prospect. And they were prepared to keep him.

But with seconds ticking away just before their pick was due, they received exactly the kind of offer they hoped would materialize Wednesday. The Minnesota Timberwolves wanted the Spurs’ selection, and they were willing to give up an unprotected 2031 first-rounder and the right to swap first-rounders in 2030 to get it.

Over the phone, the Timberwolves gave the Spurs a name — Rob Dillingham of Kentucky. Just beating the buzzer, the Spurs passed Dillingham’s name along to the league.

With Don Harris reporting that the target at 8 was Salaun all along, it confirms what I had said previously. This article merely states that a decision about who to pick at 8 was made; it doesn’t state that the player had already been selected prior to the Spurs’ turn to pick. Therefore, what happened was that Charlotte picked Salaun, San Antonio was unhappy with the selections left on the board, and Minnesota came calling to save the day.

[spurraider21]

No, because we got the best of both worlds. A deferral, but a sure thing in the form of an unprotected pick. Throw in a swap on top.

The sure thing was the #8 pick. That unprotected pick might be outside the top 20 or even top 30 by the time that draft rolls around after a potential expansion

[Mr. Body]

With Don Harris reporting that the target at 8 was Salaun all along, it confirms what I had said previously. This article merely states that a decision about who to pick at 8 was made; it doesn’t state that the player had already been selected prior to the Spurs’ turn to pick. Therefore, what happened was that Charlotte picked Salaun, San Antonio was unhappy with the selections left on the board, and Minnesota came calling to save the day.

I don't agree with that interpretation. It's unclearly written or designed to make things unclear, but it does say the prospect they agreed on three days prior was the one they were about to pick when the #8 slot came up. There's really no other way to read it as it's spelled out here.

Adding to this, why would it be written this way if Salaun, or any other pick they wanted, was not available at #8? This is not how it would be recounted, and straight up saying that their preference was gone would have assuaged readers more. Instead, the timeline is laid out: in their war room, they decided on a player and were "prepared to keep him." Then, the Minnesota offer came in.

There's no indication here that Salaun was their pick at 8. In fact, it says otherwise. I don't remember what Harris said, but iirc it was different: that they wanted Salaun at 4 and Castle at 8. This seems incredible, as it was widely reported that Charlotte wanted Salaun. But just focusing on the E-N article, Salaun was not their pick at 8. It was someone else.

[LeBowen]

The sure thing was the #8 pick. That unprotected pick might be outside the top 20 or even top 30 by the time that draft rolls around after a potential expansion

To me there are two options for Minnesota's pick and swap to have guaranteed higher value than #8.
Either trade those picks to Jazz since they own Minnesota's future already or give it back to Timberwolves in a year or two when cap kicks in and they can't keep their entire rotation.

Obviously Markkanen would be my preference, but I wouldn't oppose giving that pick and swap back in a year in exchange for McDaniels, no chance they keep both him and Naz.

[drpill]

If we're really trying to read between the lines of the article, another possible interpretation is that they "came to a consensus" on their overall draft board three days earlier, and, based on that, they were prepared to select someone with the 8th pick. This interpretation allows for Salaun being their first choice but off the board when their pick was up.

[Mr. Body]

If we are really trying to read between the lines of the article, it's possible that another interpretation is that they "came to a consensus" on their overall draft board, and, based on that, they were prepared to select someone with the 8th pick. This interpretation allows for Salaun being their first choice but off the board when their pick was up.

It's academic at this point, but this:

"They’d agreed on a prospect. And they were prepared to keep him."

And the choice of this player is never changed in the article. As it's written, the only way it can be interpreted is that the player they reached a consensus on and were prepared to pick is the one they were about to select when Minnesota called. Anything else is adding implausible scenarios, like "What if they didn't pick a player, but instead it was a dinosaur?" I admit I had to read the paragraphs a few times when it came out, it's not that well written.

We can definitely think Salaun was high on the list, but at least by those paragraphs the #8 pick was not going to be Salaun.

(Elsewhere, someone hashed out that it might have been Knecht.)

[scott]

The sure thing was the #8 pick. That unprotected pick might be outside the top 20 or even top 30 by the time that draft rolls around after a potential expansion

We got an unrotected FRP for the #8 pick! If we're lucky, that pick may end up as high as #8!!!

[drpill]

My bad, I was missing the context from the original article... The "three days earlier" WAS draft night, not some brainstorming session three days prior to the draft. My contributions were meaningless and I'm never going to think about this again.

Underneath a table on the practice court at Victory Capital Performance Center on Saturday morning, two crisp new white jerseys sat folded and waiting for the fourth and 48th overall selections in the 2024 NBA draft.

There was not a jersey for the No. 8 pick.

But there could have been one.

And there almost was.

Three nights earlier, in a room not far from that practice court, all the members of the Spurs’ brain trust sat around a different table and came to a consensus. They were ready to draft a player at No. 8. They’d agreed on a prospect. And they were prepared to keep him.

But with seconds ticking away just before their pick was due, they received exactly the kind of offer they hoped would materialize Wednesday. The Minnesota Timberwolves wanted the Spurs’ selection, and they were willing to give up an unprotected 2031 first-rounder and the right to swap first-rounders in 2030 to get it.

[exstatic]

Spurs might've directly asked for the delayed pick date from MIN

We talked a lot about development logjams and spacing out some of these FRPs and then the team did that and everyones mad lol. Not sure I'd use a #8 for that purpose lol, but it being a valuable #8 was probably what earned SA the nice unprotected status plus a swap.

We've got at least 2 FRPs again next year so be ready for the same thing.

It’s a better draft. If we have like 4 and 8 next year, we’ll either pick both, or use both to trade up.

[Pauleta14]

Not sure why Don Harris is used as a source of information...

Not only he's quite clear evertime he speaks that he's basically guessing but I'm pretty sure he must not be appreciated among the Spurs familly after the way he went at Vassell many times during the season...

Nobody knows

[Mr. Body]

My bad, I was missing the context from the original article... The "three days earlier" WAS draft night, not some brainstorming session three days prior to the draft. My contributions were meaningless and I'm never going to think about this again.

No, you were right. The three days earlier was the meeting before the draft when they decided who they would pick. The paragraphs you quoted start with draft night, where there's a jersey ready for who they picked at 8, then the fifth paragraph ("Three nights earlier") it goes back in time, and then the following paragraph ("But with seconds ticking away") it bounces back to the 'present' of draft night.

[scott]

I wouldn't discount the fact that whoever wrote that doesn't have all their own facts straight, in addition to being a poor writer.

[drpill]

No, you were right. The three days earlier was the meeting before the draft when they decided who they would pick. The paragraphs you quoted start with draft night, where there's a jersey ready for who they picked at 8, then the fifth paragraph ("Three nights earlier") it goes back in time, and then the following paragraph ("But with seconds ticking away") it bounces back to the 'present' of draft night.

Just when I think I'm out...

Are you sure? Here's the timeline as I understand it:

OPENING SCENE -- morning of Saturday, June 29, Spurs rookie media day:

Underneath a table on the practice court at Victory Capital Performance Center on Saturday morning, two crisp new white jerseys sat folded and waiting for the fourth and 48th overall selections in the 2024 NBA draft.

There was not a jersey for the No. 8 pick.

But there could have been one.

And there almost was.

CUT TO -- draft night, Wednesday, June 26, Spurs war room:

Three nights earlier, in a room not far from that practice court, all the members of the Spurs’ brain trust sat around a different table and came to a consensus. They were ready to draft a player at No. 8. They’d agreed on a prospect. And they were prepared to keep him.

But with seconds ticking away just before their pick was due, they received exactly the kind of offer they hoped would materialize Wednesday. The Minnesota Timberwolves wanted the Spurs’ selection, and they were willing to give up an unprotected 2031 first-rounder and the right to swap first-rounders in 2030 to get it.

I'm embarrassed to admit I don't know where the Spurs team was during the draft... I'm guessing they were in San Antonio, right, in a room not far from the practice court, and they phoned in their picks form there?

Anyway, if so, there is no pre-draft consensus mentioned here, just the consensus reached on draft night in the heat of the moment with the clock ticking, based on the players available at the time.

Or... maybe I am wrong, yet again.