The San Antonio Spurs, with a small chance to draft in the top four, jumped up to the second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They will follow the Dallas Mavericks, who are all but guaranteed to pick Cooper Flagg.
Although, what if they don't?
Mavericks' general manager Nico Harrison, by trading Luka Doncic, has already made it clear that he thinks he is smarter than everyone else and has a willingness to defy conventional basketball norms, which point to Flagg as the clear-cut best player in the draft.
However, with Dereck Lively III, Daniel Gafford, and Anthony Davis already in the frontcourt, maybe Harrison will want a playmaker like VJ Edecombe or Dylan Harper, or a pure scorer like Ace Bailey or Tre Johnson.
It's a long shot, and would not even be worth considering, except Harrison already made one world-famous blunder this season. Spurs fans are holding onto their optimism.
"You know Nico Harrison gonna do some dumb s--- and not draft Cooper Flagg," posted a fan. "I'm not giving up on the Flagg to Spurs hope."
"BREAKING NEWS," joked another. "Nico Harrison elects NOT to draft Cooper Flagg with #1 pick."
If only!
The Spurs, with the second overall pick, can either draft a player to complement their existing core or use the pick in a trade for an established star like Giannis Antetokounmpo. There would be no better trade asset on the market, although the financial viability of De'Aaron Fox, Victor Wembanyama, and the Greek Freak would need to be heavily examined by the front office before a deal is made.
Check out the Inside the Spurs home page for more news, analysis, and must-read articles.