The San Antonio Spurs own a 2026 first-round pick swap with the Atlanta Hawks, and they could return to a school that recently offered them a key role-player.
The San Antonio Spurs own swap rights with the Atlanta Hawks in the 2026 NBA Draft. Neither the Spurs nor Hawks seems poised to pick at the top of the class, so San Antonio won't land a sure-fire start like they did in the last three years.
I think most fans are content with missing out on the best of the best as long as it means the Spurs are contending, which they very much are.
Operation number one for the Silver and Black is adding as much quality talent around Victor Wembanyama as possible. The Athletic's recent mock draft has them do just that, selecting...
Tounde Yessoufou, Wing - Baylor
Hailing from Benin, Tounde Yessoufou was a McDonald's All-American in high school last season before committing to play for the Baylor Bears.
So far this season, he is averaging 17.6 points and 5.8 rebounds. As if that wasn't tantalizing enough, he is shooting 56.5% from inside the arc.
His 3-point shot is still shaky and needs some work, but as a true freshman, he will have plenty of time to develop and improve, especially within the Spurs' system.
He is a big and strong wing who is at his best when he has a full head of steam, and in his first few NBA seasons, expect him to be more of a "run and dunk" man than anything else. He can score through bigger defenders, simply pushing them out of the way, although outside of the lane, he isn't much of an elite scoring threat.
He is a remarkable rebounder, especially for his size, and can kick off a fast break when he crashes the defensive glass, or he can get out running, giving Wembanyama an elite outlet option in transition.
He can use his size, speed, and athleticism to be a pest on defense, as well, although if the Spurs pick him, expect him to have a small role to start his career.
Between Davion Mitchell, Jared Butler, VJ Edgecombe, Royce O'Neale, and the Spurs' own Jeremy Sochan, Baylor is quickly becoming a jumbo-wing factory, just like how Kentucky produces elite point guards.
Unfortunately for talent evaluators, until the outside shot reveals itself to be a work in progress or dead as disco, it's almost impossible to predict who is a complete prospect and who is not. If Yessoufou could reliably make 37% of his 3-pointers instead of 31%, he would skyrocket up draft boards.
Luckily, the Spurs are in a potrirition to take a risk, paring Sochan with a younger Baylor product.