Around 8 p.m. Wednesday night, NBA commissioner Adam Silver stepped to the draft-night podium at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn and told a lie. Or at best an incomplete truth. “With the eighth pick in the 2024 NBA draft,” Silver announced, “the San Antonio Spurs select Rob Dillingham from the University of Kentucky.” It is true the Spurs technically made that pick.
Victor Wembanyama applauds Spurs' decision to draft Stephon Castle Wright also acknowledged something else about the player who will eventually be selected with that 2031 first-rounder. “Obviously,” Wright said Thursday, “that’s some 11-year-old right now.” Over the next seven years, the Spurs will have myriad options when it comes to the pick they took from the Timberwolves. Among them, they can hire someone to begin scouting the country’s elementary schools.
The best Spurs coverage in the Alamo City, delivered to your inbox “We’ll kind of see,” Wright said. “You work through these things in stages and the first stage was getting through the draft. You’re always looking for opportunities to improve the team. We’ll be aggressive but also strategic and see what unfolds.” The cornerstone of the 2024 draft class is Connecticut guard Stephon Castle, a 6-foot-6 lockdown defender the Spurs hope will be their long-term answer in the backcourt.
After adding 'perfect Spur,' context tells more about team's plan As Thursday dawned, questions remained about the first-round pick the Spurs did not make the night before. The trade with Minnesota netted the Spurs roughly an extra $7 million in salary cap space to use this summer, up to $26 million. The extra pick gave the Spurs 11 first-rounders between now and 2031 to bundle in a trade. It was not an easy decision, Wright said.