The San Antonio Spurs are in possession of three draft picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, including two lottery selections. The Spurs also maintain possession of the No. 38 overall pick in the second round, and while they may end up taking a project pick in the lottery, there is a chance to draft an instant contributor in the second round.
Tankathon's NBA mock draft has the Spurs selecting Tennessee shooting guard Chaz Lanier, a fifth-year senior who could make an immediate impact.
Lanier spent the first four years of his collegiate career at North Florida. He wasn't a big-time player in the first three years of his career. He started to earn starter's minutes in his fourth season, playing 33.4 minutes per game.
Lanier averaged 19.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in his final season at North Florida, leading the ASUN in three-point percentage with a 44.0 percent mark, while also shooting 51.0 percent from the field, earning him First-team All-ASUN honors.
In his lone season with the Volunteers, Lanier shot 39.5 percent from deep on 8.2 attempts per game. Lanier averaged 180 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Lanier was a second-team All-SEC selection and a third-team All-American selection.
Lanier may be the best three-point shooter in the class, able to handle high volume with excellent efficiency. He's knockdown when open, but can also shoot over closing out defenders. He also showed flashes of being a pull-up mid-range threat, even against SEC defenses.
Defensively, he showcased great ability in Rick Barnes' system. He shuffles his feet well on the perimeter and is a heads-up defender off the ball. He played over 30 minutes per game for the third-best defensive team in the nation. He has an advanced understanding of team defense and can fly around the floor and cover ground with his 6-foot-4 frame.
While all of that sounds great, Lanier's game does leave something to be desired. When he isn't scoring, he doesn't offer much on offense. He spreads the floor well, but does not have good court vision offensively, he often fails to recognize the extra pass. He's likely not going to become a high-volume playmaker.
Lanier also struggles to create space with the ball in his hand. He isn't much of a threat around the basket, and while his lethal shooting threat opens up driving lanes, he doesn't have a quick enough first step to blow by defenders for easy baskets. Given his struggles at the collegiate level, it will be hard to imagine that he will become skilled at the NBA level.
Lanier is an aggressive shooter who can be a spark plug, a threat to go for 40 points on any given night if the looks present themselves. On the other hand, his aggression can get him into trouble, forcing shots when his team is desperate for offense.
Lanier can be an immediate impact player, sliding right into the offense as an effective shot maker and defender. If he continues to develop defensively and with his decision-making, he can be a great three-and-d guard, akin to Malik Beasley or Donte DiVincenzo.