The NBA Playoffs are in full swing, but recent proposed changes to the draft lottery may have a surprising effect on the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs finished with the second-best record in the NBA this season and hopefully won't be picking in the lottery anytime soon.
Nevertheless, one of the draft picks they own may soon be dramatically impacted. With the looming changes to the NBA draft lottery, the Spurs' best remaining draft asset may no longer be as valuable.
The Spurs own a 2031 first-round pick swap via the Sacramento Kings. The Kings have only made the playoffs once in the last 18 seasons. Therefore, it seems like a safe bet that that selection will be a lottery pick.
It may still very well end up being a high pick, but it isn't nearly as clear-cut as it previously was.
The NBA's new draft lottery rules could screw the Spurs
The new draft proposal would penalize the teams with the three worst records and reward teams that finish 4-10 with equal odds at the top pick. Tracking the status of that pick will be much more difficult since it won't be as tied to a team's regular season record.
That could prove to be a double-edged sword for San Antonio. Bad in the sense that the Kings' pick may have more volatility. On the other hand, it could be a good thing if the Kings' record falls between four and 10.
If the Kings' pick ends up in one of those seven slots, the Spurs will have equal odds for the number one overall pick. Under the current rules, the Kings would have to finish with one of the three worst records to have top odds.
All hope isn't lost for the Spurs and the Kings' pick
Then again, current top odds are 14.1%, whereas the new odds for a team selecting between 4 and 10 are just 8%. Still, that pick swap could prove to be massively valuable to San Antonio if they are a contender and end up with a high lottery selection.
It's just less clear-cut where the pick will end up. Granted, that is still five years away, and the Kings could be, dare I say, good by then. Yeah right. Hopefully, the proposed rule changes will unintentionally help the Spurs if the Kings are predictably bad.
Just not bad enough to have one of the three worst records in the NBA. Barring something unexpected, San Antonio owning that pick swap should still allow them to move up in the NBA Draft. It's just unclear by how much with the NBA's proposed rule change.
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