With Victor Wembanyama in China for nearly two weeks learning more about himself, according to a source, the San Antonio Spurs hope the Frenchman returns to a tweaked roster poised to end a six-year postseason drought.
Rife with assets — two lottery picks (No. 2 and No. 14) and an additional three future tradeable first-round picks, not to mention controllable contracts — San Antonio could strike a deal to land an All-Star-level player. But whether the team wants to deviate from its long-term plan for building sustainability is still being decided with a week before the 2025 NBA draft begins (June 25-26, 8 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN).
The Spurs pushed their long-term plan into motion back in 2020 to land Wembanyama.
“We want to build something that’s sustainable. You’ve got to build it brick by brick,” general manager Brian Wright said last June after drafting eventual NBA Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick, then Rob Dillingham at No. 8, before trading him to Minnesota for a 2031 first-rounder and a 2030 pick swap. “All the decisions that we’ve made to this point have kind of been under that premise.”
But will it continue as the Spurs are coming off the league’s eighth-worst record (34-48), stocked with draft capital?
It’s likely to, despite San Antonio fielding inquiries from teams looking to trade up to No. 2, while two future Hall of Famers — Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant — could become available in potential trades. The Spurs haven’t held any substantive discussions regarding the former, according to sources, and Phoenix’s asking price might be too steep for a franchise looking to remain cautious during the early years of Wembanyama’s career.
Still, Durant presents an opportunity, potentially at a lower cost (likely the No. 14 pick and Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes) for San Antonio to add an experienced sharpshooting wing with championship pedigree. Wembanyama has long admired Durant’s game, and said he’d like to learn more from the two-time champion. In an interview with M6 Info, Wembanyama said he spoke with Durant after the gold medal game at the Paris Olympics in 2024 between the U.S. and France, and told the former MVP that “I wanted to learn from him and perhaps steal one or two of his secret techniques.” The Spurs’ young squad could benefit from Durant’s tutelage and practice acumen. Those types of Insights are not lost on former coach Gregg Popovich, now San Antonio’s president of basketball operations who worked with the 18-year NBA veteran during their time together on Team USA and wants to give new coach Mitch Johnson plenty of talent, including one who can help develop camaraderie.
“He’s not special because he’s so talented,” Popovich said of Durant in 2021. “The way he works on his game is more impressive. The joy he has in playing, it’s like osmosis.”
San Antonio will have plenty of competition for Durant’s services but don’t count on a bidding war. The Spurs aren’t likely to relinquish the No. 2 pick for Durant because, according to sources, it’s expected they’ll draft Dylan Harper to add to a talented young core featuring Wembanyama and Castle.
With the French phenom entering his third season, and Castle in Year 2, San Antonio finds itself on solid footing financially to take a big swing on Durant or in free agency, even with De’Aaron Fox’s contract extension due soon. As it stands now, San Antonio is $33 million below the tax and $37 million below the first apron.
In addition to surrounding Wembanyama with better shooters, San Antonio needs to find a backup point guard in the draft or free agency, in addition to a big man to back him up. Depth at center was virtually nonexistent last season after San Antonio traded Zach Collins in the Fox deal, leaving Charles Bassey, who was limited to 36 games because of injuries.
As the Spurs assess their options, all while keeping their long-term goals at the forefront of their decision-making, myself, Jeremy Woo, Kevin Pelton and Bobby Marks dig into how the franchise should approach the draft. We will go deeper into three trade options — and offer a verdict. — Michael C. Wright
More on Spurs’ lottery picks
Although there has been plenty of discussion since lottery night around what the Spurs should do at No. 2, San Antonio is well aware of its good fortune after its pick jumped six spots and has not rushed into trade discussions.
The organization appears comfortable with selecting Harper, who most teams consider the draft’s second-best prospect behind Duke’s Cooper Flagg. The question of fit with Fox and Castle is something the Spurs seem comfortable figuring out on the fly, but the prospect of adding another top talent in Harper on a rookie contract provides flexibility as they continue to surround Wembanyama with players who will help elevate his game. Most teams around the NBA expect San Antonio to draft the 6-foot-6 Rutgers guard.
But the No. 14 pick is where the Spurs will explore their options, whether that’s drafting another young player who complements their core roster, or trading it to add veteran talent or extract some other form of value. Carter Bryant, Noa Essengue and Joan Beringer are among the players who should be considered by the Spurs with their second lottery pick. — Jeremy Woo
Trade offer No. 1: Giannis for a bevy of players, future picks
Milwaukee Bucks get: Forwards Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan, the No. 2 pick, 2026 first-round pick (better of Atlanta and San Antonio), 2028 first-round pick (better of Boston and San Antonio), 2030 first-round pick (better of Dallas, Minnesota and San Antonio), 2031 swap (Milwaukee’s for better of Sacramento’s and San Antonio’s)
Spurs get: Giannis Antetokounmpo
San Antonio is well-positioned to build an Antetokounmpo offer around picks based on the combination of moving up to No. 2 and having future swaps. Instead of relying on the Spurs’ own picks, likely to come at the end of the round, the Bucks would be able to bet against a variety of teams bottoming out.
In particular, the 2030 first-rounder looks especially valuable because it’s the best of three teams — albeit with top-one protection on the swap with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Milwaukee also gets a recent lottery pick in Sochan and players who could keep the team competitive with no draft incentive for the Bucks to tank.
By giving up three rotation players plus the No. 2 pick, San Antonio would compromise its depth. But the Spurs would have time to continue reshaping the roster around a fearsome frontcourt duo of Antetokounmpo and Wembanyama with Castle and Fox in the backcourt. — Kevin Pelton
Trade offer No. 2: Spurs move players, 2025 No. 14 pick for Durant
Phoenix Suns get: Guards Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, forwards Harrison Barnes and Keldon Johnson, 2025 No. 14 pick, 2027 first-round pick (via Hawks)
Spurs get: Durant
Given Antetokounmpo hasn’t requested a trade, Durant is a more realistic target for San Antonio. The Spurs must weigh whether adding an aging star who will be 36 by 2025-26 opening night to a team led by the 21-year-old Wembanyama makes sense, and whether it would be worth taking themselves out of the mix for Antetokounmpo down the road.
On the flip side, Durant’s age and looming free agency (he has one year left on his contract) mean San Antonio wouldn’t necessarily need to dip as heavily into the team’s stockpile of future picks to add him. Wright recently proposed a trade built around Vassell, but I would prioritize keeping his shooting even if it costs more draft picks.
This offer gives up the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft and the other unprotected pick the Spurs have coming from the Atlanta Hawks via the Dejounte Murray trade. By splitting up Durant’s salary, it saves Phoenix about $12 million in 2025-26 salary, with the potential of additional savings by moving some of these players to other teams. — Pelton
Trade offer No. 3: Spurs get pick No. 27, players for Cam Johnson
Brooklyn Nets get: Guard Malaki Branham, forward Keldon Johnson, 2025 No. 14 pick, 2029 first-round pick (top-four protected, converts to two second-round picks if not conveyed)
Spurs get: Cam Johnson, 2025 No. 27 pick
Alternatively, San Antonio could look to deal for a non-star who might better complement the team’s existing talent. Johnson looks like an ideal fit. He averaged a career-high 18.8 points last season and has been a consistent 39% 3-point shooter who would space the floor as a stretch 4 alongside Wembanyama.
Swapping Keldon Johnson for Cam Johnson would have little impact on the Spurs’ cap sheet and, crucially, wouldn’t affect the team’s ability to trade for Antetokounmpo down the road. If needed, Keldon Johnson could either be included in that deal or sent elsewhere for value, given his cap-friendly contract and skill set that works for almost any team.
This proposal offers the Nets a swap up from No. 27 to No. 14 in this year’s draft — a difference equivalent to getting a late first-rounder according to my pick value chart — along with a lightly protected 2029 pick. San Antonio would retain its highest-value picks and swaps coming from other teams during Wembanyama’s prime years. — Pelton
Among those trade offers, this one fits the best
ESPN’s Bobby Marks picks the most realistic of the trades and explains why or why not this could be feasible:
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s move to acquire Alex Caruso last June taught us that a trade can have a significant impact even if an All-Star is not coming back. And though Durant and Antetokounmpo sound enticing, especially when considering the Spurs’ roster still has Wembanyama, Fox and Castle, trading for Cam Johnson fits the ideal timeline for basketball reasons and opportunistic cost.
Because Johnson’s salary next season is half of what is owed to Durant and Antetokounmpo, the Spurs do not have to gut their roster, trading only two players, Branham and Keldon Johnson.
If Durant or even Antetokounmpo are still available, San Antonio would still have enough tradeable contracts and draft assets even after landing Cam Johnson. The Spurs not only retain the No. 2 pick in this draft, but also pick up a late first-round pick from the Nets. They would also retain the most valuable draft asset of their collection, a 2027 unprotected first from Atlanta.
