Late-Season Drama Might See San Antonio Spurs Miss Out on Big 2024 NBA Draft Win

The San Antonio Spurs got multiple conditional first-round draft picks when they sent Jakob Poeltl back to the team that drafted him for Khem Birch and three top-six protected first-round picks from 2024 through 2026.

While it seemed for a while that the team will be getting two first-round picks for the next three drafts, the team’s sudden decision to pull off the Pascal Siakam trade threw a wrench in the Spurs’ plans. After Siakam’s departure, the team struggled to win more basketball games.

The Raptors currently stand at a 23-51 record while the Spurs are at an abysmal 18-57. Their positions already has Spurs fans nervous about the outlook of the 2024 NBA Draft, but K Kearney of Spurs Fan Cave reminded fans of the fact that they might lose their pick from the Raptors:

The Raptors haven’t struggled with injuries as much but if the recent injury reports are any indication, they are either not taking any chances or actively holding guys out. Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Jakob Poeltl have all missed the last few games. Their absences probably explain why Toronto is on a 12-game losing streak right now. Whether some of them could theoretically suit up if they really needed to doesn’t matter. The Raptors surely have good enough reasons to hold them out if they want to.

Health shouldn’t play that much of a part in the tank-off as long as the Raptors, which have more motivation to actually try to lose, decide to keep some of their best players off the floor.

How badly does Victor Wembanyama need help?

The San Antonio Spurs badly need the first-round draft pick from the Raptors as there’s little to no help for Wembanyama on their roster.

Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson have been providing decent help on the offensive side of the ball, scoring 19.5 and 15.8 points respectively. Jeremy Sochan has also been doing rounds as a makeshift point guard, but there’s still no solid floor general to lead the team.

They badly need playmaking to help address their issues. While they can target D’Angelo Russell among a plethora of established guards, the rebuilding Spurs would rather have another young PG who can match Wemby’s timeline. Missing out on the Raptors pick will prevent Popovich from creating a team that best suits his young giant’s needs.

With the way things are going for the Spurs, fans will be praying that the Raptors go on an unexpected win streak so they can keep their pick and help Wemby through the draft.