Apr 9, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs forward Harrison Barnes (40) talks with interim head coach Mitch Johnson in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images / David Gonzales-Imagn Images
While the NBA playoffs rage on for the teams still left, other teams have officially started on their offseason plans with the goal of returning to contention in 2025-2026. For the San Antonio Spurs, now led by former Stanford Cardinal standout Mitch Johnson, this offseason is going to be crucial for a franchise looking to return to the postseason for the first time since 2019.
On Monday, the NBA will conduct its annual draft lottery to determine who will receive a top four pick, chosen among the 14 teams that missed the playoffs. And while the Spurs’ odds to get the top pick are not very high, with Bleacher Report giving them as a high as a 6.0% chance, they could very well be in a prime spot to land another star.
Multiple mock drafts, Bleacher Report and CBS Sports, project that the Spurs will land the No. 8 pick, a spot that could still see some superstars left on the board.
But what makes that spot more interesting is who insiders think the Spurs will take with that selection. The two most common picks that the Spurs are projected to make according to the mock drafts are Kon Knueppel out of Duke or Khaman Maluach out of Duke.
Either of these selections would make perfect sense. Johnson, a former guard himself, has an affinity for playmakers– something that both Knueppel and Maluach are.
In his lone season at Duke, Knueppel formed a formidable trio with Cooper Flagg and Tyrese Proctor, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists and was instrumental in helping the Blue Devils put together a deep March Madness run.
As for Maluach, his 8.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 0.5 assists may not jump off the page, but it is his elite defense that makes him such a threat.
Other players that the Spurs have been connected to in mock drafts include Carter Bryant from Arizona and Derik Queen from Maryland.
The lottery tends to favor the teams who finished at the very bottom of the standings. The three worst regular season teams this season–the Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets all have a 14% chance of getting the first pick while the New Orleans Pelicans and Philadelphia 76ers each have a 12.5% and a 10.5%, respectively.
The full lottery will take place at 4 p.m. (PT) in Chicago and will air live on ESPN.
Led by legendary head coach Gregg Popovich for nearly 30 seasons, the Spurs were at one point the class of the NBA, winning five championships under Popovich and creating an unforgettable dynasty.
But as time went on, and players like Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili retired, the Spurs have struggled to return to glory. But, with a young team full of young stars headlined by 21-year-old Victor Wembanyama, 20-year-old Stephon Castle and 27-year-old De’Aaron Fox, the Spurs could be in a prime position to be contenders for years to come.
Johnson, entering his first full season as the head coach after serving as the Spurs’ interim head coach, has a lot to prove. But from what he has shown during his interim season, the Spurs are in good hands and found themselves a more than capable leader to get them back to the promised land.
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