So much was made of the team that received the top pick in next month's NBA draft—the Dallas Mavericks—that fans largely forgot about the franchises that fell immediately behind it.
The San Antonio Spurs came away from Monday's draft lottery wielding the No. 2 pick—a nice consolation prize for a team whose season went up in smoke with center Victor Wembanyama's Feb. 20 deep vein thrombosis diagnosis. The Philadelphia 76ers, whose season was also marred by injuries, came in at No. 3.
With Wembanyama continuing to progress, the Spurs can afford, simultaneously, to be both aggressive and patient. That luxury, per a Friday morning report from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, is fueling San Antonio's pre-draft strategy.
"It should come as no surprise that the main name league sources bring up as a potential Spurs trade target is Milwaukee Bucks (forward) Giannis Antetokounmpo. With [Antetokounmpo's] wrecking-ball interior game and Wembanyama’s silky smooth perimeter chops both as a shooter and ballhandler, the two are seen as a natural pairing that could lead to immediate success," Vecenie wrote.
He added plenty of sources think the Spurs will stand pat and select Dylan Harper.
The Bucks, who presumably would enter a rebuild by trading Antetokounmpo, have not picked that high in the draft since taking Duke forward Jabari Parker second in 2014.
Potentially throwing another wrench into the top five are the 76ers, who per Vecenie may seek to move their No. 3 pick as well.
"It’s expected that the Sixers will listen to offers for No. 3, but it’s unclear whom the team would take if it stays. Rutgers (guard Ace) Bailey has been seen as the biggest upside swing, and he fills a theoretical position of need for Philly as a big wing," Vecenie wrote. "But he is also viewed as more of a project by scouts and executives, and this is a Sixers front office that likely needs to win next year to keep its jobs."
Philadelphia went 24-58 this year—its worst record since 2016.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Two Top-Five Teams in NBA Draft Could Explore Moving Picks, per Report.
