With the 34th pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Charlotte Hornets drafted Creighton center Ryan Klakbrenner. And it's a pick the San Antonio Spurs wish they could have used themselves.
The San Antonio Spurs have a lot of hits in their recent past. They drafted Victor Wembanyama, of course, but also Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, two-way wing Devin Vassell and most recently Dylan Harper this year with the No. 2 pick. They made savvy trades to add draft picks to take on contracts, including landing starting forward Harrison Barnes at great value from the Sacramento Kings.
Not every move has been a slam dunk, however. Some have been the unfortunate signing of players to contracts they did not deserve, such as Zach Collins' bloated deal to be the backup center. And some have been straight salary dumps to move off of contracts that should have never been signed to begin with.
Devonte' Graham was a disastrous contract
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That's the case with point guard Devonte' Graham. The Kansas product entered the league in 2018 as the 34th pick in the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. After a nondescript rookie season he exploded onto the scene in his second year, averaging 18.2 points per game. That earned him a shiny new contract from the New Orleans Pelicans.
Almost immediately, that contract turned out to be a disaster. Graham's scoring and efficiency dropped significantly in his first season in New Orleans, and midway through his second they were eager to get off of him. They traded four second-round picks with Graham's contract to the Spurs in exchange for swingman Josh Richardson.
Not even the patient Spurs could stand being saddled with that contract for long. Graham averaged just 8.7 points per game in 43 games in San Antonio, shooting a frigid 33.8 percent from deep. Whatever he was for that magical second series it was long gone by 2023-24.
San Antonio therefore dumped his salary by attaching a second-round pick to his salary, a pick they gained by taking on the salary of Cam Payne months earlier. Graham was traded back to Charlotte, where it all began, where he was promptly waived. He has not played in an NBA game since.
The Spurs might still have that pick if they hadn't needed to dump Graham, and it ended up as the 34th pick in this year's draft. They could absolutely use a backup center in the vein of Kalkbrenner, a proven rim protector with shooting ability as well. He was a four-time Defensive Player of the Year in the Big East.
Instead, they will have to look elsewhere to build out their roster. They are in great position to do so given all of their other assets and their young talent, but this is a pick they would have liked to have. Losing it in a salary dump is all the more painful - and the knife will only be twisted if Kalkbrenner becomes a difference maker in the NBA.