The 2025 NBA Draft is still 29 days away on June 25, and free agency is a week later, so that leaves plenty of time for speculation and rumors to swirl. With two lottery picks (their own pick plus the Hawks’ at 14th via the Dejounte Murray trade), the Spurs were already bound to be tied to trade rumors, but things became even more interesting when they experienced a massive rise in the lottery from the 8th best odds to 2nd in a top-heavy draft, opening an even wider array of opportunities.
Much speculation has been swirling over if the Spurs will keep the pick or trade it, and if so, to whom, for what, etc. Of course, everything is just speculation at this point, and nothing is set in stone, but it doesn’t hurt to see what all is being said out there and break it down.
Most insiders expect the Spurs to keep the 2nd overall pick
Despite Rutgers guard Dylan Harper considered the consensus second best player in this draft behind Cooper Flagg, some are questioning his fit with the Spurs, who already have De’Aaron Fox (whom they are expected to offer an extension to) and reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle, who appears to be a consistent jump shot shot away from potential All-Star status.
Still, many NBA insiders believe the Spurs will keep the 2nd overall pick, especially if there is not a star player to be had via the trade market (more on that below). It would make sense regardless of positional overlap because some talents are too good to pass up, and Harper would be a shoo-in for the top pick in many other drafts. This would also keep the Spurs’ finances relatively clear, especially considering Fox’s likely extension this summer and Victor Wembanyama’s in two years. That is already two max or near-max players, so the more talent the Spurs have on rookie-scale contracts, the better.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has yet to ask for a trade
Even if the general consensus is that the Spurs will keep the 2nd overall pick, one thing that may entice them to trade it is the opportunity to pair a superstar with Wemby and jump into title contention right away. Giannis has widely been listed as one of the few players who could convince the Spurs to give up their pick should he ask for a trade. However, there’s just one problem: he hasn’t asked for one yet. Opinions are mixed over if he even will, plus the Bucks plan on going all in to convince him to stay:
A significant aspect of the Bucks’ pitch, then, is selling Antetokounmpo on the idea of a so-called gap year that enables them to retool the team while allowing him to maintain his one-team affiliation after 12 seasons in Milwaukee. The very forgiving East landscape certainly enhances the notion that it wouldn’t take years (with an s) to return to contention. (Marc Stein)
Even if Giannis does ultimately ask out, there may be better options than the Spurs, depending on what direction Milwaukee wants to go from there. If the hope is to quickly retool and remain in the playoffs, a team like the Rockets — who would reportedly be willing to part with All-Star big man Alperen Sengun for Giannis — would be a better suitor for them than the Spurs. If they want to rebuild, then the Spurs’ 2nd overall pick would be more enticing, but the Spurs would also have to send back plenty of talent for salary matching purposes, which a) they may not want to do (salary cap, loss of depth, etc.), and b) that would likely prevent the Bucks from bottoming out, and they would need to get more teams involved. At this point, Giannis to the Spurs doesn’t seem all that likely for a multitude of reasons, but that could always change.
The Spurs-Nets ties always trigger rumors
That being said, there may be other suitors for the 2nd pick if the Spurs feel they are set at guard, Harper isn’t “the one”, or they want to package their one or both of their picks in a trade, either for immediate talent or to move back in the draft. Jesus Gomez already went over a couple of examples of why simply trading back in the draft is unlikely, so be sure to go check that out if you haven’t already, but one team the Spurs keep getting tied to in the rumor mill is the Brooklyn Nets, who own four first round picks this year: their own at 8th, 19th (via the Bucks), 26th (Knicks) and 27th (Rockets).
GM Sean Marks is reportedly looking to move up in the lottery, and due to his extensive connections with the Spurs as a former player, assistant coach and executive, the two teams are almost always connected in trade rumors. While the Spurs certainly don’t need all those picks, the Nets could attach some enticing depth pieces to the 8th pick like Nic Claxton and/or Cam Johnson, who fill some areas of need at reasonable costs.
Still, that would likely mean moving back to where the Spurs originally thought they would be in the draft, and why would they do that when they just experienced such a great rise in the lottery? Again, all signs point to the Spurs keeping the 2nd overall pick and staying the course unless its for something too good to pass up (and as previously mentioned, so far that potential something hasn’t even become available).
Chris Paul is not expected to return to the Spurs
Yet another reason to consider keeping their pick and selecting Harper is the Spurs’ actual guard depth. Sure, they already have Fox and Castle as potential ball handlers, but they don’t have much beyond them. They traded away Tre Jones in the Fox deal, and Blake Wesley and Malaki Branham aren’t looking like long-term pieces at this point (nor are they reliable ball handlers).
Add that to rumors that although he has not said anything publicly, Chris Paul is not expected to return and has several suitors himself (such as the Mavericks, who traded Luka Doncic and lost Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL, so they have a starting PG position available and may value CP3 mentoring Flagg as he did Wemby), so the Spurs have all the more need for another ball handler off the bench. They could address that in free agency, or they could draft a player with star potential, keep growing organically, perhaps shuffle Harper and Castle around to experiment with fit, and worry about having too many good players at one position down the line. It’s not like that’s a bad problem to have.
As the playoffs come nearer to a close, the rumors will only keep building as we approach the draft and free agency. The Spurs will most certainly be tied to many of them, but just keep in mind who are reliable sources and who is not. If any credible rumors do arise, we will be all over it here at PtR, so be sure to stick around!