It's not feasible we draft and use roster spots for 12 first round picks over the next couple years. Why not pull a Texans move and give Charlotte or Portland (who already mentioned shopping the pick) a few firsts to move up and take Wemby at 1 and then Scoot or Miller at 2 or 3. Would package top talent in the same age and development bracket and still have plenty of picks to fill holes in years to come.

I doubt the Spurs have enough to realistically move up into the top 5 for a 2nd pick. I tend to think they won't keep all those 1st rounders forever, but they also wont casually give them away either. Drafting is enough of a crapshoot that they'll likely need most those picks over the years to make sure the hits even out the misses.

A lot of people forget that when they drafted Duncan, they had already been building something for a while. They were a lot further ahead on having a roster built than this team is.

HtownWilly12 said:

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It's not feasible we draft and use roster spots for 12 first round picks over the next couple years. Why not pull a Texans move and give Charlotte or Portland (who already mentioned shopping the pick) a few firsts to move up and take Wemby at 1 and then Scoot or Miller at 2 or 3. Would package top talent in the same age and development bracket and still have plenty of picks to fill holes in years to come.

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I would absolutely move picks to Charlotte for #2.

Portland wants players to win now, so that doesn't work as well, and I don't know that we want Brandon Miller.

Charlotte trades:
#2 pick
Gordon Haywood

Spurs trade:
#33 pick
Charlotte their own 2024 pick back.
Spurs 2025 1st round pick
Spurs 2027 1st round pick
Boston 2028 Pick Swap
Dougie McBuckets
Branham

They clear about 20mm in salary cap space and get an early second, a first rounder last year, 3 firsts and a swap. That's a pretty good return.

But they risk having LaMelo wanting to walk next year for not improving the team. But if you bring back Bridges and Washington with more development from their centers, they should improve to playoffs if they are healthy.

C: Richards/Williams
PF: PJ Washington/ Kai Jones
SF: Bridges/Branham
SG: Rozier/Bouknight
PG: Ball/Smith

I would pull the trigger on that for Scoot Henderson in a freaking heartbeat.

We still have room to pick up a Rim protector like Naz Reid.

Reid/Collins/Bassey
Wemby/Haywood
Sochan/Keldon
Vassell/Wesley
Scoot/Tre Jones

#44 pick

Still need some wing defense and some shooting. But we get the Haywood 31mm salary dropping off in a year to go after a good wing to rotate with Keldon/Vassell.

Yeah I'd guess we wind up using half of those picks ourselves. It's definitely Combo Loco time as PATFO sorts things out as how to build around the inner core of Sochan/Wemby and Vassell/KJ.

15-year-old Jeremy Sochan playing against 14-year-old Victor Wembanyama:

15-letni Jeremy Sochan grający przeciwko 14-letniemu Victorowi Wembanyamahttps://t.co/NUJuauagAs

Film od @BWawrzynczuk - jeśli jeszcze go nie obserwujecie to bardzo zachęcam :)

— Mateusz Babiarz (@matbabiarz) May 17, 2023

LNB Pro A has named all their Award Winners:

MVP: Victor Wembanyama
DPOY: Victor Wembanyama
Young POY: Victor Wembanyama
Scoring Title: Victor Wembanyama
Rebound Title: Victor Wembanyama
Blocks Title: Victor Wembanyama

Well, that's interesting.

#1 pick, Baby!

THE_CHOSEN_ONE said:

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I am crazy for wanting the Spurs to go after Draymond? I think he would be ideal to pair with Wemby to be our Wiley veteran enforcer, take a lot of pounding in the paint to help Wembanyama.

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I don't know if you heard, but earlier this season he punched his own teammate who immediately turned into an unplayable $30million a year guy.

We just got Wemby, and you want to bring in a guy who thinks the entire world should bow down to him?

**** that

Guitarsoup said:

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We also have the 33rd pick and 44th pick. If the Spurs really like someone late, I wouldn't mind seeing them move up for them.

Again team needs as I see them:
1. Lead Guard (doubt we get from a 2nd rounder)
2. Rim Protector
3. D&3 wing, or upgrade defense overall

Some possible options that could be around in the 20-45th picks:

Wings:

• Bilal Coulibaly, France. 6'7 with 7'3 wingspan. Plays on Wemby's Metropolitans team. 36% 3pt shooter, defensive stopper and super athletic.
• Rayan Rupert, France. 6'6, 200, 7'3 wingspan. He's a D&3 wing that is relentless on defense, but hasn't figured out the 3 part yet. Dad was French Basketball team captain and sister was a 1st rounder in the WNBA.
• Colby Jones, Xavier. 6'5 200 wing that is a defense-first guy. Good passer and team player, and hit 38% of his threes. Sounds like Vassell starter kit.
• Andre Jackson, Jr, UCONN. Wing, 6'6 200 with 6'10 swingspan. Another D&3 guy with no offense, but a very good passer.
• Jordan Walsh, Arkansas, wing. 6'6 with 7'2 wingspan. Plays hard and seems to be a menace. Probably around for Toronto pick.
• Kris Murray, Iowa. D&3 stretch 4.
• Julian Strawther, Gonzaga, D&3 wing. 41% from 3.

Points:

• Marcus Sasser, Houston, PG. 6'1 195, 6'7 wingspan. Great defender and team player, 38% 3pt shooter. Would be a backup PG.

Posts:

• James Nnaji, Nigeria. 6'10 with 7'7 wingspan. Plays for Barca, but hasn't had tons of minutes as he is very raw. Bad FT shooter.
• Dereck Lively, Duke. 7'1 with 7'7 wingspan. Not great fish year, but solid body and great rebounder and shot blocker. Needs some more intensity

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They need to draft Steeve Ho You Fat, Wimby's teammate from the Metropolitan 92s. Might be the only jersey to outsell Wimby's. I'd buy one. Barkley would have never ending jokes about San Antonio women.

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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Guitarsoup said:

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Spurs are still interviewing Anthony Black.

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Don't be surprised if the Spurs start unloading multiple future firsts (of which they have 724 apparently) to try and get multiple lottery picks this year.

They can't draft 5 players every year. It seems this was the Wembanyana version of the endgame. Stockpile picks, luck into Wemby, and then turn those picks into more pieces. If they didn't get Wemby, then they probably use those picks to just keep throwing darts at interesting players and pray one or two pop at the same time.

The Spurs need to step outside their comfort zone and try to take a few BIG swings right now. Trade those picks to jump into the top 7ish and grab another piece. Wemby is locked up, don't waste his first contract, which will likely be his only cheap contract. Take advantage of the situation and get aggressive. Overpay for someone if you think they are the right piece. Maybe it's a couple veterans, maybe it's one of the twins.

My worst fear is that they try to out-Spurs themselves by "taking it slow, playing the long game, chess not checkers"…. **** that. This situation is different. This could be a generational type player. Don't wait for him to be "ready" before adding the big pieces. Do it now. The only failure, in my opinion, is to wait in anything. The NBA isn't the same. "Trust The Process" didn't work. It's about now.

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If you really want to win its not going to be with rookies.

Ag Natural said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

Spurs are still interviewing Anthony Black.

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Don't be surprised if the Spurs start unloading multiple future firsts (of which they have 724 apparently) to try and get multiple lottery picks this year.

They can't draft 5 players every year. It seems this was the Wembanyana version of the endgame. Stockpile picks, luck into Wemby, and then turn those picks into more pieces. If they didn't get Wemby, then they probably use those picks to just keep throwing darts at interesting players and pray one or two pop at the same time.

The Spurs need to step outside their comfort zone and try to take a few BIG swings right now. Trade those picks to jump into the top 7ish and grab another piece. Wemby is locked up, don't waste his first contract, which will likely be his only cheap contract. Take advantage of the situation and get aggressive. Overpay for someone if you think they are the right piece. Maybe it's a couple veterans, maybe it's one of the twins.

My worst fear is that they try to out-Spurs themselves by "taking it slow, playing the long game, chess not checkers"…. **** that. This situation is different. This could be a generational type player. Don't wait for him to be "ready" before adding the big pieces. Do it now. The only failure, in my opinion, is to wait in anything. The NBA isn't the same. "Trust The Process" didn't work. It's about now.

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If you really want to win its not going to be with rookies.

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Not year 1 or probably year 2, but if Wemby is as good as advertised, lottery picks (or really any pick that is developed well), can be a major contributor in their second or third year.

Put pieces in there now. Create the "winning" type team around Wemby now. Even if he isn't ready, he will get comfortable early with the idea that the team is mostly built around him. He needs to embrace that from day 1. None of this humble crap. And the Spurs need to embrace it too.

Popovich has always had a hard time letting rookies cook. If he's the shape shifter his reputation is built on, he shouldn't have a hard time trying a new strategy, and that strategy is to get Wemby on the winning/dominating mindset early. Let him cook! He might not stick around if the Spurs don't jump early and start piling up W's

They are only rookies for one year. The point he's making is that if the Spurs see a player they like, such as Amen Thompson, and he's around at 4-6, go get him with the capital we have. There is no telling what next year's draft will look like, so you grab the guys you want.

Also, the added benefit in my mind to going super young, is precisely what you mentioned, you don't win with rookies, so one more year of pseudo tanking and letting the young guys figure it out, and we get a chance to see how the lottery works out for us next year also.

That strategy could net us a team of

PG - Amen Thompson
SG - Vassell
SF - Sochan
PF - Wemby
C - Collins

For next year and then the top couple of prospects next year are bigs, so you can fill out the roster and you have a young core that I think we'd all be excited to have.

The scouting reports I've seen for Amen, make me think of a more athletic and longer version of Dejounte Murray. Pop turned Dejounte into a guy nearly averaging a triple double, so I bet he could get the best out of Amen.

https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/34487913/the-thompson-twins-elite-unproven-path-nba

Article on the Thompson brothers, the intensity and athleticism is what I like. Amen might not be a knock down shooter, but he doesn't have to be if he can excel at the other parts of the game.

Some interview questions with Wemby.

Q- If we talk about sports, if we look at this franchise, today it is totally at the bottom of the ladder. The leader of the team is Keldon Johnson maybe Devin Vassell, do you know this team well, could you tell me a little bit about it?

WEMBY- In the NBA, in basketball in general but especially in the NBA, we see teams from the bottom of the league from one year to the next go from a playoff level to the conference finals... in the NBA with the speed of the trades and the team construction, I have no worries. What's important is that the structure and culture there is strong.


Q- We can talk about the state of this franchise, the first name that comes to mind when we talk about San Antonio is Pop, tell me what comes to mind when we talk about being coached by Pop?

WEMBY- If all goes well yeah... But, it would be an honor for sure. From what I've heard, he's demanding, but one thing I know for sure is that he's good, and until proven otherwise he has more experience than I do. If I have the chance to be coached by Pop it will be with a lot of humility and excitement too.

Q- Everyone will draw the parallel with Tony Parker, what does that mean to you?

WEMBY - I'm not worried about it at all, it's an honor to see our names next to each other, and I know people have expectations but they don't exceed the expectations I have of myself so I have nothing to worry about

From all accounts, he seems like a great kid. FWIW, his dad was a track guy and did the long jump, high jump, and triple jump. His mom was a pro basketball player and then became coach. His little brother is 6'6 at 15yo. Parents are still married.

"Parents are still married"

What does this have to do with anything?

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

Spurs are still interviewing Anthony Black.

---

Don't be surprised if the Spurs start unloading multiple future firsts (of which they have 724 apparently) to try and get multiple lottery picks this year.

They can't draft 5 players every year. It seems this was the Wembanyana version of the endgame. Stockpile picks, luck into Wemby, and then turn those picks into more pieces. If they didn't get Wemby, then they probably use those picks to just keep throwing darts at interesting players and pray one or two pop at the same time.

The Spurs need to step outside their comfort zone and try to take a few BIG swings right now. Trade those picks to jump into the top 7ish and grab another piece. Wemby is locked up, don't waste his first contract, which will likely be his only cheap contract. Take advantage of the situation and get aggressive. Overpay for someone if you think they are the right piece. Maybe it's a couple veterans, maybe it's one of the twins.

My worst fear is that they try to out-Spurs themselves by "taking it slow, playing the long game, chess not checkers"…. **** that. This situation is different. This could be a generational type player. Don't wait for him to be "ready" before adding the big pieces. Do it now. The only failure, in my opinion, is to wait in anything. The NBA isn't the same. "Trust The Process" didn't work. It's about now.

---

I don't know if using all our assets to go after rookies is the way. There are young guys we could go after as well.

Ideally we can hang onto those Atlanta picks, but if they get the deals done for the right pieces, move them, too.

Get the career ending medical exception for Birch and start wheeling and dealing. Like Mark Cuban, but the trades should be good for us.

Guitarsoup said:

---

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

Spurs are still interviewing Anthony Black.

---

Don't be surprised if the Spurs start unloading multiple future firsts (of which they have 724 apparently) to try and get multiple lottery picks this year.

They can't draft 5 players every year. It seems this was the Wembanyana version of the endgame. Stockpile picks, luck into Wemby, and then turn those picks into more pieces. If they didn't get Wemby, then they probably use those picks to just keep throwing darts at interesting players and pray one or two pop at the same time.

The Spurs need to step outside their comfort zone and try to take a few BIG swings right now. Trade those picks to jump into the top 7ish and grab another piece. Wemby is locked up, don't waste his first contract, which will likely be his only cheap contract. Take advantage of the situation and get aggressive. Overpay for someone if you think they are the right piece. Maybe it's a couple veterans, maybe it's one of the twins.

My worst fear is that they try to out-Spurs themselves by "taking it slow, playing the long game, chess not checkers"…. **** that. This situation is different. This could be a generational type player. Don't wait for him to be "ready" before adding the big pieces. Do it now. The only failure, in my opinion, is to wait in anything. The NBA isn't the same. "Trust The Process" didn't work. It's about now.

---

I don't know if using all our assets to go after rookies is the way. There are young guys we could go after as well.

Ideally we can hang onto those Atlanta picks, but if they get the deals done for the right pieces, move them, too.

Get the career ending medical exception for Birch and start wheeling and dealing. Like Mark Cuban, but the trades should be good for us.

---

Use all assets to get rookies and PJ Tucker/Danny Green-type vets. That's what my rambling was meant to say.

Guitarsoup said:

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Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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"Parents are still married"

What does this have to do with anything?

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I think having a strong home life with supportive parents is a major plus for a teenaged superstar.

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LeBrons dad did prison time and Ja Morant grew up wealthy with both parents….

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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"Parents are still married"

What does this have to do with anything?

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Just look at Ja Morant for what life looks like when "your crew" makes up your inner circle and not family. Carmelo Anthony and Allen Iverson had similar struggles when they were younger.

(edit to add, I know Ja's parents are around, but he clearly keeps bad company, up to and including his dad who has acted like a clown at games)

I'll admit that when researching Amen and Ausar Thompson, seeing that they are from a strong family where the father was present is something that makes me like them more.

When you are drafting a kid, and then going to likely pay them $150 million plus when you extend them, you want to trust that the kid has a solid base and is going to keep working hard and not just mail it in and start living it up with their money. (i.e. Ayton in Phoenix)

Wemby, Scoot, the Thompson brothers, all look like good cultural fits no matter where they go. It's my dream world that the Spurs walk away with at least two of those four.

Next year is going to be a development year anyways. Victor is the guy, but he is also a foreign 19-year old with a lot to learn on and off the court in a new home. I think expecting playoffs or even a play-in is a little premature. That's not to say we shouldn't try to be competitive but let's see what we have in our group before trading all of our draft capital for another asset. Another lottery pick in this year's draft sounds good, and we should consider it if there is a guy available but 1) Even if we bundle the draft assets we have, it will be hard to move into, say the top 7. Alot of our picks are probably projected to be late lottery/mid teens as it stands, if they convey at all. 2) A team full of rookies/2nd year players might not be the best thing for Victor's development.

I've seen some analysts think we should go after Brook Lopez or Chris Paul, to use all of our cap space on one of those guys. This doesn't make sense to me at all. But I do think that it would be good to get some veteran guys for the locker room to be the Monty Williams to Victor like Tim Duncan had.

Quote:

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Alot of our picks are probably projected to be late lottery/mid teens as it stands, if they convey at all. 2) A team full of rookies/2nd year players might not be the best thing for Victor's development.

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The thing with draft picks is you just never know. Brooklyn's picks to Houston for Harden look a lot better now than when they had Durant and Kyrie.

Clippers' picks to OKC look a lot better now than when Kawhi and PG13 first teamed up.

Plus we have first round picks or swaps from Boston, Atlanta (3), Chicago, Toronto, and Charlotte.

I think I would pay a bit more to get a proven commodity in their 20s that fits our needs like OG Anunoby, Alex Caruso, Derrick White, rather than hoping that a draftee will do it. Primo, Luka Samanic, Lonnie Walker, Livio Jean-Charles and Nikola Milutinov are all our first round picks of the last decade. We've made some great ones (White, Vassell, Keldon, DeJounte) but it is still a crapshoot.

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

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Guitarsoup said:

---

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

Spurs are still interviewing Anthony Black.

---

Don't be surprised if the Spurs start unloading multiple future firsts (of which they have 724 apparently) to try and get multiple lottery picks this year.

They can't draft 5 players every year. It seems this was the Wembanyana version of the endgame. Stockpile picks, luck into Wemby, and then turn those picks into more pieces. If they didn't get Wemby, then they probably use those picks to just keep throwing darts at interesting players and pray one or two pop at the same time.

The Spurs need to step outside their comfort zone and try to take a few BIG swings right now. Trade those picks to jump into the top 7ish and grab another piece. Wemby is locked up, don't waste his first contract, which will likely be his only cheap contract. Take advantage of the situation and get aggressive. Overpay for someone if you think they are the right piece. Maybe it's a couple veterans, maybe it's one of the twins.

My worst fear is that they try to out-Spurs themselves by "taking it slow, playing the long game, chess not checkers"…. **** that. This situation is different. This could be a generational type player. Don't wait for him to be "ready" before adding the big pieces. Do it now. The only failure, in my opinion, is to wait in anything. The NBA isn't the same. "Trust The Process" didn't work. It's about now.

---

I don't know if using all our assets to go after rookies is the way. There are young guys we could go after as well.

Ideally we can hang onto those Atlanta picks, but if they get the deals done for the right pieces, move them, too.

Get the career ending medical exception for Birch and start wheeling and dealing. Like Mark Cuban, but the trades should be good for us.

---

Use all assets to get rookies and PJ Tucker/Danny Green-type vets. That's what my rambling was meant to say.

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If you are going to use multiple draft picks to get a guy that fills a need, why not try to use them on a 25yo OG Anunoby?

I would absolutely use picks to get Scoot or Black, depending on the price. Spurs are interviewing Kentucky's Cason Wallace today, too.

I think the teams that are shopping their picks (Detroit, Portland, Dallas) want established players and I am not sure that Devonte Graham and Doug McBuckets count.

Wonder what Chicago would charge us for Caruso. If we could sign a rim protector like Naz Reid, would love a lineup of Reid - Wemby - Keldon - Vassell - Caruso with Collins, Sochan and add a wing through draft or trade. Keep Tre as backup. With guys like Sochan, Wemby, and Vassell, a PG like Caruso or White would make a ton of sense.

As a D&3 wing, Killeen native Royce ONeale would work well. Good passer, career 39% from three. Last year of 9.5mm/year deal. Brooklyn wants to dump salary and rumor is they are offering him for a pick.

Tim McMahon said Phoenix is shopping Chris Paul, and while I wouldn't trade for him, if they cut him (his salary is only half guaranteed until June 28th) I would entertain the idea of him as a cheap veteran contract.

My top two free agent role players are Naz Reid and Bruce Brown. Both the TPups and Nuggets have luxury tax problems right now, so we could probably land each for just over the MLE and both could have a starting job on our team.

I wouldn't mind moving up to get Anthony Black, but he is definitely going to Washington if he is still on the board at 8. Seems like the cost of going up to 8 to get an unproven guy like Black might be significantly more than just trading for Caruso and Royce ONeale.

I 100% think the Spurs need to take a patient approach with Wemby. As has been stated numerous times, he's only 19 and is used to playing one game a week in the French league. The NBA is a totally different ball game and it is going to take two or three seasons for him to hit his stride.

The Spurs have set themselves up well with 12 first round picks over the next five years; however, they should continue to explore trading for first rounders by taking on some undesirable contracts like they have been doing. Just because you got your guy doesn't mean the approach has to completely change overnight.

I understand that there is no way the Spurs use all 12 first rounders over the next five years; thus why would you want to add more; however, the great thing about stockpiling firsts is you can eventually trade all those assets for a star if the opportunity presents itself.

I'm sure the fan base wants the team to try and use draft picks to trade for proven players now but I think the Spurs are smarter than that and I think Wemby is smart enough to see the big picture also.

I certainly wouldn't be handing out any big long-term deals this Summer or taking on any large multi-year contracts without some other form of compensation (1st rounders).

Time to finally bring Robertas Javtokas over!!!

I don't think the Spurs can move back into the top 3-4, but I could see them bundling their pick in the 30s with a couple of those future firsts to get back into the 7-12 range, which would enable them to add a young piece like Black or one of the twins.

As far as how quickly they try to put a contender together around Wemby, I think load management is going to be a big part of slowing down that timeline.

I am expecting the Spurs to try to limit Wemby to 50-60 games in each of his first couple years. With the combination of his youth, lack of experience playing anything close to 4 games a week, and the injury history with guys that tall, I expect the Spurs to ease him into the NBA schedule grind and allow him to build up his stamina and strength and allow his body to stop growing.

I would expect even after they build him up to handle the full sked that they'll still give him more games off than most young players. I think it's smart to protect your short term investment, but it would also build up goodwill with him and his family which would help in retention.

Another reason they probably need to be patient with trading their picks is Wemby needs to prove for a season that he's both a star and a player who can stay healthy. No point in blowing your load for a Greg Oden type bust.

Also, no vets are going to want to gravy train on Wemby until they see he's the real deal.