With a green room invite and elite versatility, the Longhorns' rising star could join Victor Wembanyama as analysts project a first-round move south to San Antonio.
We've seen it suggested by at least one fan-boy website that Dailyn Swain could jump from the Texas Longhorns basketball program onto the roster of the San Antonio Spurs because "Victor Wembanyama needs roster support.''
Let's tap the brakes here, because as we're about to learn in the NBA Draft that launches tonight, only two of the above suggestions ring true.
What's true?
Swain is certainly considered worthy of a first-round pick. That is indisputable.
And Wemby needing help? He might be the best basketball player on the planet, and the Spurs just finished in the runner-up spot in the NBA, losing in the Finals to the New York Knicks. But sure, he needs help, as any star does.
But it's the third leg on the chair that collapses here.
ESPN's Jeremy Woo thinks Swain will end up in San Antonio via Pick No. 20. And we find that to be viable.
But projecting Swain, the Longhorns’ do-it-all star underr coach Sean Miller era, as an instant NBA success?
That might be asking a bit much.
Swain reportedly earned a green room invitation, which doesn’t officially guarantee a first-round selection, but let’s be real - the league usually doesn’t waste those seats on long shots.
When a prospect is invited to sit near the stage with cameras waiting, that’s a pretty loud hint about where NBA teams believe he belongs.
Swain - a 6-7 wing - led Texas in points, rebounds, assists and steals, giving the Longhorns a rare top option who could impact nearly every possession. ... without necessarily having to score the basketball.
Does the “point forward” label translate to the NBA?
Sure, though scouts say Swain needs to become a more consistant shooter.
But even then, Swain - who came to Austin alongside coach Miller in their move from Xavier - won't find the NBA quite as manageable as he did the SEC.
The Spurs aren't just Wemby. They are good and young and deep, and the smart bet is that Swain will find himself serving an internship of sorts for a time if he really does land in San Antonio.
There are other destinations where he might get more rookie playing time, of course. But Swain landing not only in the first round (when that happens, Texas will have produced first-round NBA Draft picks in back-to-back years after Tre Johnson went in 2025) but also just down the highway in the Alamo City might be the very best thing that could happen for him long-term.
