The San Antonio Spurs are expected to have a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and they avoid a common mistake in a recent mock.
The San Antonio Spurs do not need a point guard. De'Aaron Fox is an All-Star, Stephon Castle is well on his way to stardom, and Dylan Harper--despite not being used to his full potential--has shown multiple flashes of talent.
The Spurs also do not need a star big man. They have one of the best in Victor Wembanyama, and it's clear that he's the franchise centerpiece moving forward.
The Spurs do need shooting, but between Devin Vassell, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and possibly Carter Bryant, it might not be the most pressing need.
With Kelly Olynyk, Mason Plumlee, and Bismack Biyombo all set to enter free agency this summer, the Spurs will need to shore up their frontcourt.
Spurs Pick Patrick Ngongba in Mock Draft
Picking 12th overall, courtesy of the Atlanta Hawks, the Spurs select Duke center Patrick Ngongba, according to a mock draft published by SB Nation.
"I usually give the Spurs a shooter in this spot, and in the comments, their fans always start complaining when they see 'guard' next to their name. Fine!" prefaced Ricky O'Donnell.
"San Antonio gets one of my favorite prospects in Patrick Ngongba in this version, a 6’11 big man with immaculate finishing touch, slick passing ability, and proven paint protection instincts. Ngongba would have more appeal if he were a dominant rebounder, but I still think he’s worth a lottery pick."
In his second season with the Blue Devils, Ngongba is averaging 10.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game. He is not an elite rebounder, although it stands to reason that he will play almost all of his rookie minutes in garbage time or with the second unit, giving him plenty of time to improve there.
The Spurs will keep Luke Kornet under contract next season, and his spot as the backup and occasional starter seems to be locked up. At this point, the Spurs are no longer picking in the high lottery and are not guaranteed a starting-quality player, so anyone playable at all is a win.
There is an argument that the Spurs should take a swing on the best player available, but with a title window opening up and a logjam in the backcourt already, playing it safe might finally be the right call.