After a disappointing end to their season and the looming prospects of the next one given the Damian Lillard trade, the Milwaukee Bucks find themselves in a tough predicament. It's not the first time they've approached the summer thinking of ways to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay, but this one seems tougher to do so. The San Antonio Spurs might offer some reprieve for that, but all signs point to them not wanting to do so.
Given their lack of pieces with positive trade value and lack of salary cap wiggle room, the only hope the Bucks have to obtain pieces to rebuild lies in trading Antetokounmpo. That trade will, deservedly so, require a haul of assets to be made. The Spurs have a big one that could get it done with the second overall pick in next month's draft, which they can accompany with any selection of the 15 draft picks they have through 2028.
However, according to the latest ESPN mock draft, the Spurs are comfortable with making a selection with that pick instead of trading it, with the expectation to draft Rutgers scoring guard Dylan Harper. And, as Woo puts it, they don't have to rush a blockbuster move to push Wembanyama into the playoffs.
"Though trade speculation has swirled around San Antonio and this pick since lottery night, at this stage of the process, it appears to be simply that. The Spurs want to get Wembanyama to the playoffs, but don't have to rush into a blockbuster deal, be it for Giannis Antetokounmpo (should he become available) or a different star," writes Woo.
"San Antonio has the future draft capital to keep Harper and still significantly upgrade its roster at a lesser cost. Rival teams expect the Spurs will entertain their options, but the wide assumption is Harper will be the pick, barring a blockbuster move."
The Spurs want to be patient in building a championship contender around Victor Wembanyama
With Cooper Flagg presumably going first overall to the Dallas Mavericks, the Spurs will have their pick of the Rutgers duo of Harper or scoring forward Ace Bailey, or even an athletic shooting guard in VJ Edgecombe. While Edgecombe is potentially a fit with less questions to pair with De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle, Harper is the better player, considered by many the best next player after Flagg is off the board. A 6-foot-6 guard that averaged 19 points per game on 48.4 FG% in his freshman season is a tough player to pass on, even if he's more accostumed to playing with the ball in his hands. Bailey is a strong option to consider as well, given that forward is a position the Spurs need more off than a guard. Which, at the same time, is what makes them a perfect suitor for Antetokounmpo.
While any player they select will be a fine addition to the core along with Fox, Castle and Wembanyama, Antetokounmpo is a top 10 player in the NBA, the consensus best player they could add if the Bucks are looking to move him. However, with the "Greek Freak" being 30-years-old, three years older than Fox and a decade older than Castle and Wembanyama, that would accelerate the timeline of contention for the Spurs, forcing to go from fringe Play-In team to championship contender in the span of a year, doing so with a new coach in Mitch Johnson that is developing with the core as well. It would also add another max contract to their cap sheet, significantly taking away the cap flexibility they boast with mostly rookie deals.
So while the prospect of pairing Wembanyama and Antetokounmpo is very compelling on paper, in reality, it's not the wisest move to make, hence why the Spurs should ultimately pass on this proposition and draft the best player available in Harper.