For more than two decades, the San Antonio Spurs were a postseason fixture, winning titles and generally competing at the highest levels. The Spurs are now in a different phase, however, with the franchise missing the playoffs in three consecutive seasons and landing below the .500 mark in each campaign. San Antonio continues to extract value from a relatively limited roster, but the team’s current corps could use the infusion of talent that an intriguing draft class can provide.
While the Spurs did not enter the draft with a top-eight pick, only a small handful of teams began the cycle with more draft equity than San Antonio on account of three picks in the top 25 and another top-40 second round selection. That type of arsenal opens up a great deal of possibilities, and, ultimately, San Antonio stayed pat at No. 9 and took an in-state prospect.
Roster Needs: Another prominent shot creator, overall roster clarity
Jeremy Sochan (No. 9 Overall), B-: This may be seen as a reach for some, but Sochan is very Spurs-y. He brings immense defensive potential with versatility, length, and acumen. Sochan is also comfortable with the ball in his hands on offense, and San Antonio has a penchant for getting the most from players with shooting limitations. If he can smooth out his offensive repertoire, Sochan could be a monster role player.
Malaki Branham (No. 20 Overall), B+: Branham has some drawbacks, but this is an excellent value for a player who was once viewed as a potential lottery pick. He has a varied offensive game and was impressive in the second half of the season as a scorer for Ohio State. His defense is an adventure, which perhaps led to this fall, but the Spurs can help with that from an environment standpoint.
Blake Wesley (No. 25 Overall), A-: The Spurs can afford to take a bit of a swing with a third first round pick. Wesley qualifies as that, but the tools are quite interesting. He struggled from an efficiency standpoint in college, but Wesley is a fantastic ball-handler and a quality defensive prospect. He has shooting and finishing questions that lead to his overall issues right now, but the future play is a good bet in the 20’s.
2022 Free Agents:
Lonnie Walker IV (RFA)
Devontae Cacok (RFA)
Joe Wieskamp (RFA)
Robert Woodard II (RFA)
DJ Stewart Jr (RFA)
Roster:
Dejounte Murray
Doug McDermott
Josh Richardson
Jakob Poeltl
Zach Collins
Romeo Langford
Josh Primo
Keldon Johnson
Keita Bates-Diop (non-guaranteed)
Tre Jones (non-guaranteed)
Jock Landale (non-guaranteed)
Jeremy Sochan
Malaki Branham
