Considerations as the Spurs Prepare for the 2019 NBA Draft

[cd021]

1. Attempt to package a pick(s) and/or young veteran(s) to move up. If as projected Little is available at 13, offer 19, Bertans and Forbes for the pick and Olynyk.

2. Failing that, take the highest upside player available at 19. Don't worry about positional value or overlap because right now no in bent player should be viewed as an untouchable. Collect talent, increase options and sort it out later.

3. At 29, barring an unexpected fall by a more pedigreed prospect, select Okeke. Checks too many boxes that are difficult to find period let alone in that range and between a higher pick to begin with and with likely 11 rotational locks or considerations already, the possibility of him missing next season shouldn't be a big deal.

4. Prediction: If they haven't already selected a finesse big like Samanic, and Porter doesn't make it to 49, I wouldn't be surprised if they try to maneuver to acquire him.

I think number 1 is an overpay; trading Forbes, Bertans, and 19 to move up 6 spots while taking back an extra $13 million for 20-21.

Olynyk and 13 for Beli, Bertans and 29 makes more sense.

Heat save $13 million in 20-21, still get a first, and replace a non rotation player with 2 rotation players this season.

Spurs clear out the wing/forward log jam, allowing Walker to be a rotation player this up coming season. Pick up 13 while keeping 19.

[ZeusWillJudge]

Know nothing about him, and I think it's sort of unfair to assume he'll be nearly as good as Forbes, who had a marketable NBA skill from jumpstreet and has developed a ton over the past three years.

I didn't know a thing about Forbes until he landed here, so I only have his college numbers and memory of what he was like when he first came to the Spurs.

Guy has a nice stroke (even if Bryn's was as smooth as any I've seen as a rookie). His 3P% in this, his junior year, was almost identical to Forbes' third year. Forbes shot better as a sop re, but Guy shot a ridiculous .495 from distance as a freshman. I don't know, but I assume defenders weren't paying attention to him as much. The point is, he shows evidence that he could shoot the 3 every bit as effectively as Bryn did when he got here. I saw Guy play several times, even before the NCAA Tournament, where he really played well. My opinion is that he's got better handles than Bryn had when he came to SA. He (Guy) had the fourth best lane agility run at the combine, even though he was further down the list on the sprints. He's definitely got more ability to create his own shot, and I think he's a much more competent distributor than Bryn was. But then again Bryn was going against NBA defenders when I first saw him.

I was wrong when I said he was 6'5". He's 6'2"-6'3" with a wingspan of 6'5", which is almost identical to Forbes. The difference is, I think Guy can legitimately function as a backup PG in a pinch, and won't cough up the ball as much as Bryn. He's not better, or even as good as Forbes is now. But I think he can be as good or better than Bryn was after a first year in Austin.

[cd021]

I really think the picks are gonna be Samanic at 19 and Roby at 29... They are doing there due diligence like they always do but if nothing happens this is what I think they'll do.

Id be fine with that tbh. Both of them will have to improve as shooters but the talent is there

[acoelho1]

This draft (more than previous ones) is difficult to handicap based on how many players are in the mix. I think this scenario is to the Spurs advantage in that they have a proven track record of being great talent evaluators so it bodes well for us to come out of the draft with 1 or 2 solid rotation players. My hope is that we get added depth in both forwards spots and preferably some toughness and physicality. However, I do agree that we should pick the best talent irrespective of the team needs.

Also, we don't know at this point if the shooting will continue to be an issue next year. What if as I expect Murray to make a significant leap in that area? White will only get better and Walker has a smooth jumper. We will still have Forbes as well (if not traded to move up) so I don't think it will be as much as an issue next year. Nevertheless, DeRozan may be the weak link in that area so I hope he's putting my 1k shots a day from 3.

Lastly, if there is someone that falls to the late lottery (10-14) that the Spurs love, I believe they will be aggressive to move up and wouldn't be surprised if it's Forbes that is traded. Don't forget, Pop traded one of his favorite players in G. Hill so it's not out of the realm of possibility.

[duncan2150]

i see three scenarios where the spurs can move up ( by taking back some salaries)

Miami : 13 + Olynik or Jonhson for beli + Bertans and 19

Charlotte : 12 + Zeller for Beli + Bertans and 19 ( not sure how charlotte's value zeller and his contract)

Minny : 11+ Dieng for Belli + Bertans + 29 ( maybe the spurs need to add a little bit to match the salaries)

or 11 + Dieng for Mills + Bertans or Beli and 19

We could ad Forbes in some scenarios

[ZeusWillJudge]

Again, even before the GS demise happened, I wanted SA to pick a direction. I don’t understand not taking a pick-rich package for Kawhi instead of DeRozan if you aren’t willing to push. Like, with Kawhi they were ready to push and get another All-Star, but now with DeRozan whom you chose you aren’t?

It should be the same; dangle what you need to get an all-star. OR, go the other way and dangle your all star to a team willing to pay.

I don’t understand this sitting in the middle stuff with the decision they made. The could have gotten younger or more picks; they didn’t have to trade for a win now type player.

SA didn't have the trade pieces to get even a second All-Star, and it didn't seem like they were going to attract one from the FA market. Have to assume that they thought landing DeRozan would give them a base that would at least give them a chance at landing a third.

They probably should have traded him before the deadline the year before, but that's just one more sign that PATFO really wanted to work things out with him and believed that they could. You can't blame them for wanting to keep him, so all that's left is blaming them for not recognizing that he wouldn't stay. By that time, the Lakers thought they would get him anyway, and pretty much everyone else assumed he was just a rental. Only a team with a legit chance to ring could think they had a chance at keeping him around.

The Lakers were MUCH more desperate this year, after failing to even reach the playoffs with LeBron on the roster, and Kawhi looking more like he might stay in Toronto. Just a weird convergence of events.

I think the Spurs picked the only direction they had available at the time.

[RC_Drunkford]

Spurs need to make a trade. On draft night preferably because you can move players without getting salary back. Opening up at least about 15 million in cap space would do a lot to improve the team going forward. Players on the table should be Mills, Bertans, Belinelli, Forbes. Poeltl only if you can draft a replacement big like Claxton. DeRozan only for a pick in the top 8 to get Sekou or Hunter.

I could see them moving up for one of Hunter, Sekou, Hachimura, Little

If they don't they should use 19 on the guy with the highest upside and use 29 on a guy with a high floor. I think somebody like Cam Johnson could help the team from the get go. The 2nd round pick should be used on an injured guy who's out for the season. My target is Jontay Porter for that. I wouldn't mind to trade up in the 2nd round either to get somebody like Okeke

[NickiRasgo]

I want Hunter.

[exstatic]

i see three scenarios where the spurs can move up ( by taking back some salaries)

Miami : 13 + Olynik or Jonhson for beli + Bertans and 19

Charlotte : 12 + Zeller for Beli + Bertans and 19 ( not sure how charlotte's value zeller and his contract)

Minny : 11+ Dieng for Belli + Bertans + 29 ( maybe the spurs need to add a little bit to match the salaries)

or 11 + Dieng for Mills + Bertans or Beli and 19

We could ad Forbes in some scenarios

Taking on two years/$24M of Olynyk's dead money is worth only 29, not 19.

[exstatic]

Spurs need to make a trade. On draft night preferably because you can move players without getting salary back. Opening up at least about 15 million in cap space would do a lot to improve the team going forward. Players on the table should be Mills, Bertans, Belinelli, Forbes. Poeltl only if you can draft a replacement big like Claxton. DeRozan only for a pick in the top 8 to get Sekou or Hunter.

I could see them moving up for one of Hunter, Sekou, Hachimura, Little

If they don't they should use 19 on the guy with the highest upside and use 29 on a guy with a high floor. I think somebody like Cam Johnson could help the team from the get go. The 2nd round pick should be used on an injured guy who's out for the season. My target is Jontay Porter for that. I wouldn't mind to trade up in the 2nd round either to get somebody like Okeke

There is no get out of jail free card for salary on draft night. The rules are exactly the same as the other 365 days of the year.

[mo7888]

Spurs need to make a trade. On draft night preferably because you can move players without getting salary back. Opening up at least about 15 million in cap space would do a lot to improve the team going forward. Players on the table should be Mills, Bertans, Belinelli, Forbes. Poeltl only if you can draft a replacement big like Claxton. DeRozan only for a pick in the top 8 to get Sekou or Hunter.

I could see them moving up for one of Hunter, Sekou, Hachimura, Little

If they don't they should use 19 on the guy with the highest upside and use 29 on a guy with a high floor. I think somebody like Cam Johnson could help the team from the get go. The 2nd round pick should be used on an injured guy who's out for the season. My target is Jontay Porter for that. I wouldn't mind to trade up in the 2nd round either to get somebody like Okeke

I have a gut feeling that Reddish is pretty high on our radar. I'm just not used to the names we hear being associated with the spurs being the player we are really after and Pop has a good relationship with Krzyzewski.

[exstatic]

I have a gut feeling that Reddish is pretty high on our radar. I'm just not used to the names we hear being associated with the spurs being the player we are really after and Pop has a good relationship with Krzyzewski.

Reddish is going to bust. In fact, I'm not terribly high on either Duke SF, but Barrett has a better shot at being something. I think of the Duke trio, only Zion will break out.

[monty4329]

Either move massively up for a player you really really like, or just get rid of all three picks for a serviceable Forward. The board is vey weak this year, we don't need more young pieces who'll never make it to the floor, like Metu. In the roster we have already a logjam of projects and 1st-2nd year.

Unless PATFO somehow believe there is another Kawhi at #19, which is very unlikely.

[mo7888]

Reddish is going to bust. In fact, I'm not terribly high on either Duke SF, but Barrett has a better shot at being something. I think of the Duke trio, only Zion will break out.

I disagree but, .... I'm not basing my opinion on my opinion of Reddish's prospects... it's just a feeling I have based on how the spurs approach a draft keeping things close to the vest and pop's relationships

[Chinook]

Either move massively up for a player you really really like, or just get rid of all three picks for a serviceable Forward. The board is vey weak this year, we don't need more young pieces who'll never make it to the floor, like Metu. In the roster we have already a logjam of projects and 1st-2nd year.

Unless PATFO somehow believe there is another Kawhi at #19, which is very unlikely.

This board is oozing with talent, almost all at the three, four and five. It's the ideal draft for the Spurs to have two firsts given their roster needs.

[RC_Drunkford]

There is no get out of jail free card for salary on draft night. The rules are exactly the same as the other 365 days of the year.

you know exactly what I mean

[Chinook]

you know exactly what I mean

To be fair, I'm not really sure what you mean either. There's no difference between trading now, trading on Thursday or trading next month. Just like the Pelicans "traded" Davis and the Nets Crabbe before draft night, so too could the Spurs "trade" DeRozan or anyone else right now. The only benefit to doing something on Thursday is the potential to know which players will be around during the picks in question.

[rjv]

not real high on the duke players (outside of zion) either. historically, duke puts a lot of players in the NBA but many of these players also fall way short of expectations (and that even includes the years in which players weren't one and done).

[Drom John]

Top four Dookies with Spurs WS:

23.3 Gene Banks
07.3 Johnny Dawkins
06.8 Danny Ferry
00.0 Cherokee Parks

[TDomination]

I'm not too concerned which rout the spurs take. I think we will get solid players either way. But the question will be is if they will just be solid role players or could they potentially become a star. We need that star.

Our recent draft history has been pretty decent considering where we are always picking LATE in Round 1.
2018 - 18th Pick - Lonnie Walker
2017 - 29th Pick - Derrick White (Potential All Star)
2016 - 29th Pick - Dejounte Murray (Potential All Star)
2015 - 26th Pick - Nikola Milutinov (still just 24, if we can get him over here he might amount to something)
2014 - 30th Pick - Kyle Anderson (serviceable role player - got a decent 2nd contract)
2013 - 28th Pick - Livio Jean-Charles (BUST)
2011 - 15th Pick (trade with IND) - Kawhi Leonard (MVP Level)
2011 - 28th Pick - Cory Joseph (good role player)
And we all know Parker was the 28th Pick and Manu was the 55th pick.
So if we stay at 19, i have a feeling we will pick up someone with a lot of potential. If we trade up, hopefully we can get someone that has MVP potential.

[TD 21]

I think number 1 is an overpay; trading Forbes, Bertans, and 19 to move up 6 spots while taking back an extra $13 million for 20-21.

Olynyk and 13 for Beli, Bertans and 29 makes more sense.

Heat save $13 million in 20-21, still get a first, and replace a non rotation player with 2 rotation players this season.

Spurs clear out the wing/forward log jam, allowing Walker to be a rotation player this up coming season. Pick up 13 while keeping 19.

It's not solely to move up 6 spots. Olynyk is a useful player. As much as the Heat would love to dump salary, I still think they'd view him as an asset at this time.

With the Spurs' affinity for playing big, he's the rare one who could actually play with Aldridge on both sides of the ball. He essentially duplicates post prime Gasol's offensive skillset (dribble, pass, shoot, post vs mismatches) with far more mobility defensively (though far less stationary rim protection and defensive rebounding).

No way the Heat would do 29 in place of 19 and I doubt they'd even do Belinelli in place of Forbes, because they'd go from saving about $2.4M in raw salary (never mind luxury tax payments) to adding roughly $600K (plus however much in luxury tax payments).

[Ditty]

Spurs have only been aggressive one year out of like the last 20 years. We are not going to do anything besides get the BPA on their board when they pick.

[duncan2k5]

A tall, athletic SF... top priority... Then a long, versatile PF like Siakam

[SpursStar]

I wouldn’t mind Darius Bazley as one of the picks, he’s young but has extreme potential. I think the Spurs would do wonders for his development.

[MultiTroll]

Stability As A Weapon

Popovich, Buford and the rest of the front office has no need to worry about their jobs; they'll be around as long as they want to be around. In the NBA, such job security is exceedingly rare.

So, considerations drafted player must make.

1. Do you like coffee?
2. Are you comfortable around a Wombat, can you submit to leadership?