Good thread. There are some interesting projects in the draft and someone is likely to drop. If the Spurs keep their pick and assuming it'd be somewhere in the 12-20 range, here's my list of realistic/semi-realistic targets :
TIER 1 :
- Greg Brown : super raw, but a lot of potential
- Kai Jones : even more raw and even more potential
- Franz Wagner : if other GMs are blind
- Jalen Johnson : if his value dips due to red flags
- Jaden Springer : he's all over the place in mocks, might be long gone, but a very polished player
TIER 2:
- Brandon Boston : huge upside as a shooter/scorer, might find it easier in the NBA than college
- Josh Christopher : big, athletic, polished but hasn't put it all together yet
- Usman Garuba : watched him a few times, looks big, strong, long, enormous defensive upside even on the perimeter, but his offense is very suspect. He's hit some 3s now though, so he's improving
That said, I think it's possible the Spurs zag when everyone zigs and be buyers at the trade deadline. Not sure they'd feel great ending up with another 2 or 3 year project on their hands if they can get someone who's good and fits with the other players right now. Not saying I like him at the max he'd demand, but just as an example the Spurs's first, say top 10 protected, could very likely be the best offer Atlanta would get for John Collins.