San Antonio Spurs

Kentucky guard Rob Dillingham has reportedly been "openly campaigning" to be selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the upcoming NBA draft, according to ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

"While some around the league don't view Dillingham as a 'Spursy' type of pick based on their drafting track record, he has been openly campaigning to be picked by San Antonio," Givony wrote on Friday. "There'd be no questions about how he'd view the team hierarchy if the Spurs pair him with Wembanyama. At the NBA draft combine in Chicago, Dillingham said, 'He could be one of the best players ever. If I'm playing with Wemby, it's obvious -- I am coming in to give Wemby the ball.'"

Dillingham's feelings are understandable, considering that the Spurs have a player in Victor Wembanyama who could very well end his career as one of the game's more prolific players.

However, it's a question of whether the Spurs are interested, too.

The latest mock draft from Jonathan Wasserman for Bleacher Report has Dillingham going 11th overall to the Chicago Bulls.

San Antonio holds the No. 4 and No. 8 picks in the draft. Wasserman has G League Ignite small forward Matas Buzelis and Providence guard Devin Carter going fourth and eighth to San Antonio, respectively.

Wasserman compares the 6'1", 164-pound Dillingham to former sixth man standout Lou Williams. He also projects him as a player who could slide, specifically mentioning the Spurs as a team that could pass on him:

"Though Rob Dillingham has yet to work out for teams, he's starting to sound like a candidate who could slide.

"The Detroit Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers seem unlikely to target him based on their current backcourts. The Charlotte Hornets could be an option, although they finished No. 29 in defense. League sources believe the San Antonio Spurs aren't likely based on what they're signaling to agents. We're hearing teams prefer bigger positional prospects."

Still, Dillingham isn't likely to slide out of the lottery.

He impressed during his one season at Kentucky, averaging 15.2 points on 47.5 percent shooting (44.4 percent from three) and 3.9 assists. Regardless of whether he ends up in San Antonio or elsewhere, Dillingham looks likely to carve out a long and prosperous NBA career.

It took just one year for San Antonio Spurs star big man Victor Wembanyama to establish himself as a championship-level talent.

A veteran NBA player told ESPN's Andrew Lopez that he believes "other vets will take less money" in free agency this offseason for the chance to play with Wembanyama because he "could increase their chances of winning."

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft met and exceeded all expectations, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and a league-high 3.6 blocks.

He's just the second rookie in NBA history to lead the league in blocks and he finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He was unanimously named Rookie of the Year and he became the first rookie ever to be selected to the All-Defensive first team.

Lopez added that "other vets have talked all season about how special of a player Wembanyama is."

The only thing missing from Wembanyama's rookie season was team success, as the Spurs finished 14th in the Western Conference with a 22-60 record. San Antonio will have the No. 4 and No. 8 picks in this month's NBA draft, giving the team the chance to add another talented prospect.

However, the Spurs could also use an injection of veteran leadership after having the youngest roster in the NBA last season. Perhaps the team would be open to trading one of its lottery picks to add one of the top trade candidates on the market to pair with Wembanyama.

Whatever San Antonio decides, it's clear that this could be a crucial offseason for the franchise to complete its rebuild and reestablish itself as a contender in the West.

Lonzo Ball heaped praise upon San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama following his tremendous rookie season.

"He has a chance to be the best player ever, potentially," the Chicago Bulls point guard said on his podcast, What an Experience. "I'll say that right now"

Could Wemby end his career as the best player the NBA has ever seen? 👽 pic.twitter.com/MMteuF52oC

— The WAE Show (@TheWAEShow) June 7, 2024

Wembanyama showcased his long-range shooting, ball-handling, and shot-blocking prowess at 7'3" throughout his first year in the NBA after he was selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 draft. He was unanimously voted as the 2024 Rookie of the Year for his efforts.

In 71 starts, the 20-year-old averaged 21.4 points and 10.6 rebounds to go along with a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game. Wembanyama also became the first rookie in NBA history to make the All-Defensive First Team.

He struggled a bit with his consistency from behind the arc but he still connected on 37.5 percent of his pull-up threes and canned 79.6 percent of his free throws, which bodes well for his future as a long-range shooter (via NBA.com).

Ball was likely able to get a closer look at Wembanyama compared to his fellow NBA players, as he wasn't able to suit up during the 2023-24 season due to a knee issue that required multiple surgeries.

However, Ball is expected to make his long-awaited return to the court during the 2024-25 season (via Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic).

The former No. 2 overall pick is far from the first opposing player to be amazed by Wembanyama's future. During an anonymous survey of 136 NBA players conducted by The Athletic in April, Wembanyama was voted as the player they'd most want to build a team around moving forward. He narrowly edged out three-time MVP Nikola Jokić to win the vote.

While it may be extremely early to put the Spurs forward on track to enter the conversation as one of the greatest players in NBA history, his rookie season was still an impressive first step.

There weren't many doubters about Victor Wembanyama's potential to succeed in the NBA, but he apparently kept some of the receipts from anyone skeptical of his ability.

The San Antonio Spurs star recently responded to a 2020 comment from someone who said he wouldn't dominate in the NBA.

Wemby really replied to this comment 3.5 years later 👀🤣

(via @nba_indepth) pic.twitter.com/somc9W4S0D

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 28, 2024

Wembanyama was unanimously voted 2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds and an NBA-best 3.6 blocks per game in 71 starts.

The Spurs didn't win the lottery last year—they hit the NBA jackpot by getting the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. They added an instant superstar who arguably managed to exceed the sky-high expectations for him.

Wembanyama had the first triple-double with at least 10 blocks in a game since the 2020-21 season. He had a 40-20 game in the Spurs' 130-126 win over the New York Knicks on March 29.

The original comment was posted after Wembanyama put up 22 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks in Nanterre 92's 72-63 win over Le Havre as a 16-year-old.

This was around the time that Wembanyama's status as a top NBA prospect really started to take off.

Mike Schmitz, who is currently working in the Portland Trail Blazers' front office after being an NBA draft analyst, wrote a story for ESPN in February 2020 that called Wembanyama maybe the "best long-term prospect in the world."

Wembanyama told Schmitz he was 7'2" and 198 pounds with a 7'8" wingspan at that point. He wound up growing two inches taller, added four inches to his wingspan and increased his weight to 230 pounds prior to the start of the 2023-24 NBA season.

In defense of the commenter from 2020, even though Wembanyama was on the NBA radar at that point, you would have to be a hardcore draft fan to be paying attention to a 16-year-old who had a dominant game in a French pro league.

If the commenter decided to stick with that original thought now that we have seen Wembanyama turn in one of the best rookie seasons in NBA history as a 20-year-old, that person should stop watching basketball because nothing about the sport will make them happy.

San Antonio Spurs superstar center and 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama took some time Tuesday night to enjoy one of his passions outside the sport of basketball.

According to TMZ Sports, the owner of San Antonio collectibles shop Heroes & Fantasies, Adam Conley, said Wemby arrived just before close Tuesday and browsed some Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering cards, which was captured in the following photo:

Victor Wembanyama Hits Local Card Shop, Hunts For Pokémon, Magic & Manga | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/FZYDlaTx3D

— TMZ Sports (@TMZ_Sports) May 23, 2024

Conley noted that Wembanyama was "super friendly" and ended up buying some Manga before departing the store.

The 7'4" Frenchman was one of the most hyped NBA draft prospects in recent memory, so it came as no surprise when the Spurs used the top pick on him last year.

For as much as every fan and observer expected out of him, it can be argued that Wembanyama still managed to somehow exceed expectations during his debut season.

The versatile big man felt as unstoppable as Mewtwo at times, averaging 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.8 three-pointers made, 1.2 steals and a league-leading 3.6 blocks per game.

In addition to being the unanimous Rookie of the Year, Wembanyama was also an NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, and the 20-year-old fell just short of being the youngest player to ever be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year, as he finished second in the voting.

Despite all of that, the Spurs were still among the NBA's worst teams this season, finishing with a 22-60 record, which was the second-worst mark in the Western Conference.

Even so, there is a great deal of excitement surrounding the future of Wembanyama and the Spurs as a whole, and it seems like only a matter of time before they are back in title contention.

The San Antonio Spurs have a true superstar-in-the-making in Victor Wembanyama and several solid young players around him. But the team remains in a full rebuild mode and will have the No. 4 and No. 8 picks at this year's NBA draft to add to their coffers.

One name to keep in mind for San Antonio is Stephon Castle.

According to Kelly Iko of The Athletic, "The Spurs are said to be big fans of UConn's Castle, league sources said, and he is moving up their draft board. San Antonio has two top-10 selections and could take Castle with either the No. 4 or No. 8 pick."

If the Spurs covet Castle, they may need to use that No. 4 selection. B/R's Jonathan Wasserman projected the Detroit Pistons to select the UConn man with the No. 5 overall pick in his latest mock draft, noting that "scouts remain drawn to how he impacts games in different ways playing various roles."

I’m probably on an island here.

But I just might take Stephon Castle No. 1.

Has the measurables, the athleticism, the work ethic, the upside, the versatility.

And the consistency with the perimeter shot will improve. https://t.co/P2tWtXdZ8P

— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) May 14, 2024

Wasserman added: "He's physical at both ends. He creates for teammates. He crashes the offensive glass. And scouts and coaches rave about his intangibles."

If he improves his perimeter jumper, he could be a fantastic wing at the NBA level, offering defensive tenacity, athleticism and physicality. Castle, however, potentially sees himself as a point guard:

whispers that Stephon castle and his camp are not willing to work out for NBA teams with starting point guards who are locked in. castle views himself as a future pg in the league.

— Dick Weiss (@HoopsWeiss) May 19, 2024

As for the Spurs, Wasserman projected them to take Serbian point guard Nikola Topić at No. 4 and G League Ignite wing Ron Holland at No. 8.

For Topić, he wrote that he "should be in the best-player-available conversation around No. 4, while his ball-screen play and passing could give him an extra edge for a team that needs more creation and a guard to make the game easier for Wembanyama."

Wasserman noted that the Spurs could go more of the wing route if they add a playmaker like Topić, noting Holland would provide the team with "one of the best athletes in the draft and a quick wing defender."

If the Spurs want Castle and feel a player like Topić could potentially fall, however, they could use the No. 4 selection to select the UConn man and see what shakes out at No. 8. If they also believe Castle is an NBA point guard, they could go the wing route instead.

Castle, 19, averaged 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists during his lone season in college, shooting 47.2 percent from the field but just 26.7 percent from three. That latter number will need to come up for him to be a true difference-maker at the NBA level.

Stephon Castle looking smooth during movement 3 drills. Closed this one making eight straight. Castle’s shooting one of the biggest swing skills in this draft. pic.twitter.com/nqBUn3gvTa

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) May 13, 2024

Given how many other ways he impacts the game, however, it wouldn't be shocking to see a team like the Spurs draft him early on.

If the Los Angeles Lakers want to pursue a trade for Trae Young this summer, they may not have to worry about the San Antonio Spurs getting in their way.

Per Yahoo Sports' Jake Fischer, the Spurs' interest in acquiring Young from the Atlanta Hawks has been "vastly overstated" and they have shown "little interest" in the three-time All-Star thus far.

A lot of attention is being paid to what the Spurs might look to do during the offseason as they try to add talent around Victor Wembanyama.

Young's future in Atlanta has been the subject of great speculation dating back to the trade deadline.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported during the draft lottery on Sunday the Hawks having trade talks involving Young "this spring and into the summer are very real, too."

The Hawks' offseason became even more intriguing after they won the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft lottery.

ESPN's Brian Windhorst said this week on The Hoop Collective Podcast (h/t RealGM.com) that Atlanta could be more likely to trade Young than Dejounte Murray.

The Lakers and Spurs have been two popular landing spots linked to Young if he does get moved. Los Angeles could have a need at point guard with D'Angelo Russell considered likely to opt out of his $18.7 million deal for the 2024-25 season.

Young would solve a lot of the Lakers' offensive problems, especially as a pick-and-roll partner with Anthony Davis. He's not the most efficient three-point shooter, but his 37.3 percent success rate this season was the second-best mark of his career.

The Athletic's Jovan Buha (starts at 55:38 mark) noted in March the Lakers had interest in Young at the trade deadline, but they only had a 2029 first-round pick available to trade that wasn't enough to entice the Hawks into making a deal.

The Lakers will have up to three first-round picks, including 2029 and 2031, to package in trade proposals this offseason.

Fischer noted there's a belief around the league that San Antonio will "explore" finding a long-term pick-and-roll partner with Wembanyama.

The Hawks would certainly have interest in talking with the Spurs to potentially try to re-acquire at least one of the unprotected first-round picks in 2025 and 2027 they sent to San Antonio in the Murray trade.

Young's limitations on the defensive end of the court would almost certainly be mitigated by playing with Wembanyama. He's owed $89 million over the next two seasons, but his deal includes a 15 percent trade kicker. His deal also has an early-termination option for 2026-27 that would be worth just under $49 million if he were to play it out.

Despite Wembanyama's emergence as a superstar during his rookie season, the Spurs finished with the second-worst record in the Western Conference (22-60). They ranked in the bottom 10 in offensive rating (110.0), defensive rating (116.4) and net rating (-6.4).

The 2024 NBA draft lottery was held on Sunday,. While the San Antonio Spurs didn't land the No. 1 overall pick for the second straight year, they should be quite happy with the lottery results.

San Antonio ended up with two selections in the top eight because the Toronto Raptors' selection fell outside of the top six. Toronto dealt a top-six protected selection to the Spurs in last year's trade for Jakob Poeltl.

Toronto's selection landed at No. 8, meaning it will transfer to the Spurs this year. San Antonio also received the No. 4 selection via the lottery.

2024 NBA DRAFT ORDER IS SET 🍿

Pick 1. Hawks
Pick 2. Wizards
Pick 3. Rockets
Pick 4. Spurs
Pick 5. Pistons pic.twitter.com/csi294OgBh

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 12, 2024

While both first-round picks are valuable, the No. 4 spot is most likely to yield a future franchise cornerstone for the Spurs to pair with 2023 No. 1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama

The Spurs weren't particularly good this past season, winning a mere 22 games, but Wembanyama was sensational. If San Antonio can hit on its top selection, it'll have a chance to build toward a very bright future.

The unknown, of course, is who the Spurs will target at No. 4. This year's draft class doesn't feature a surefire top prospect in the mold of Wembanyama, so predicting how the early first round will unfold will be a bit tricky.

Naturally, though, the experts have their opinions.

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Zaccharie Risacher an Intriguing but Potentially Ricky Choice for San Antonio

Would pairing with another French prospect make sense for the Spurs? According to the post-lottery mocks of USA Today's Bryan Kalbrosky and The Athletic's Sam Vecenie, the answer is yes.

Both Mocks have San Antonio taking JL Bourg (France) wing Zaccharie Risacher at No. 4.

While Risacher has struggled with his range shots as of late, he still has the look of a top-end NBA prospect.

"The eye test on his quick, high release point remains convincing, particularly with Risacher also making 45.5 percent of his shots off screens," Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman wrote.

Wasserman has Risacher ranked as the ninth overall prospect on his latest draft board. Wasserman cited Risacher's lack of on-ball scoring as a potential concern.

"He's almost never used in isolation or ball-screen situations, and his handle doesn't appear tight when he's trying to execute a move in a tight window," Wasserman wrote.

And as Kalbrosky noted, Risacher's ongoing shooting slump cannot be ignored. It'll be hard for teams to know which version of Risacher they're getting, and projecting the 6'9" wing's ceiling is even more challenging.

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Nikola Topić is Another Trending Option

If the Spurs want a potentially "safer" prospect, they might take a long look at Nikola Topić of KK Crvena Zvezda (Serbia), Topić is the third-ranked player on Wasseerman's board and was recently mocked to San Antonio by Wasserman, Yahoo Sports' Krystan Peek and CBS Sports' Kyle Boone.

Wasserman, Peek and Boone both listed Topić's passing ability as a top trait and a big potential asset for Wembanyama.

"Hard to find a better pairing with Wemby than Topic here. He's a smooth guard from Mega who has a big frame and fits the profile of a multi-positional facilitator," Boone wrote.

"More than anything else, the San Antonio Spurs will value his ability to create shots for teammates with his dribble manipulation, vision and advantageous 6'6" size for passing," Wasserman wrote.

Topić isn't a flawless prospect, though. He missed roughly three months with a knee injury, and there's no guarantee he'll become more than a high-end facilitator. Still, it doesn't hurt to target a high floor with a lottery pick.

"His positional tools and comfort level/production in quality pro leagues at 18 years old (turns 19 in August) feels worth betting on, even if there are some questions about his three-point percentages, athleticism and defense," Wasserman wrote.

Kentucky's Rob Dillingham is another intriguing potential complement for Wembanyama and was the choice in Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo of ESPN's mock draft:

"Dillingham's combination of perimeter shooting, ballhandling and pick-and-roll playmaking gives him significant offensive potential to grow into long term. His size and defensive limitations could be mitigated alongside a future Defensive Player of the Year-caliber rim-protector such as Wembanyama."

One player the Spurs probably won't have a shot at is Perth Wildcats (Australia) center Alex Sarr. The 7'1, 216-pound prospect was delivered to the Atlanta Hawks at No. 1 in all six mocks examined here.

The San Antonio Spurs may have an opportunity to develop a french connection at the Frost Bank Center.

The franchise was awarded the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which was a move-up the expected No. 5 pick going into the NBA Draft Lottery. The Spurs had a 10.5 percent chance at moving up prior to the lottery, but do just that and earn a top-four pick for the second consecutive season.

The 2023 Draft brought the No. 1 pick to the Spurs, and it took French phenom Victor Wembanyama with that pick. He would average 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 3.6 blocks and would win the Rookie of the Year Award for his efforts.

The Spurs won't have free reign in this year's draft, with the Atlanta Hawks, Washington Wizards and Houston Rockets set to pick before them. However, two intriguing french players could be available for the Spurs to take and allow the team to bring some familiarity to Wembanyama.

Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr are those players, and they are rated as the potential No. 1 and No. 2 picks by ESPN. Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman has Sarr rated as the No. 4 overall player and Risacher as the No. 9 in his latest big board for the 2024 Draft.

Risacher is a forward who averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 22 for Mincidelice JL Bourg of the LNB Pro A league in France. Sarr, like Wembanyama, is a center, and averaged 9.7 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 24 games for Perth of the National Basketball League in Australia.

San Antonio will obviously need to prioritize team fit and value when making the selection, but the prospect of taking another french player is certainly an interesting one to consider.

The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is set to take place June 26 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY.

We now interrupt your regularly scheduled sports browsing to present you this science lesson, courtesy of San Antonio Spurs Rookie of the Year winner Victor Wembanyama.

"Dark matter is like a mass we can't see, but we know it's there because it has influence on gravitational pulls and the speed of gravitational pulls and orbits in every galaxy," Wembanyama told reporters on Saturday when asked about his fascination with dark matter. "It's presence inside galaxies is five times higher than regular, seeable matter. So it's a huge mystery. We can't see it, we can't observe it, but we can observe its influence. So this is dark matter, very sci-fi."

today's science lesson brought to you by @wemby 🔭 pic.twitter.com/6pTl7PQeM3

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) May 12, 2024

Spurs fans and opponents alike are more than a little familiar with the influence and gravity that Wembanyama provides after his scintillating rookie season. All he did was average 21.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and an NBA-leading 3.6 blocks per game, all while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 32.5 percent from three.

All of that, and he's only 20 years old. Wemby is already a shooting star on the court, and off it he probably could school you on all manner of astronomical phenomenons. Get you a rookie who can do it all.