San Antonio Spurs: Navigating the 2025 NBA Draft Between Dylan Harper and Victor Wembanyama
The San Antonio Spurs are facing a crucial decision with their second overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. They can either select Dylan Harper, a 6-5 lefty with a penchant for creating shots, or pursue a different path that could yield more immediate results. The stakes are high as Victor Wembanyama, a 7-foot-5 phenom, is poised to be one of the most impactful players in recent memory. Harper's appeal lies in his ability to finish at the rim, where he shot 67.5% of his shots last season at Rutgers. He's a crafty player with a herky-jerky handle that keeps defenders guessing. While he has red flags in his game that suggest he's still searching for his shot, his feel for the game should only improve over time.
The Wemby Fit: The problem is that Harper's fit with the Spurs is risky. The team already has Wembanyama, who needs space to operate and make plays. Adding more ball-handlers without improving the shooting around him could stifle Wembanyama's development and limit his impact on the court.
The Paths Forward:
- Draft Harper and keep Fox and Castle: This option assumes that the coaching staff can figure out how to best utilize Wembanyama with the trio intact over time. However, it also puts pressure on Wembanyama to defer while the team figures itself out on offense.
- Trade Castle: If San Antonio believes Harper has higher long-term upside as a lead initiator, they could explore trading Castle while his value is high. This would free up minutes for Harper and potentially open up more opportunities for Wembanyama.
- Trade down: Teams like the Jazz, Wizards, Pelicans, and Nets all need initiators. Maybe one of them would offer a haul to move up for Harper. This option could yield a player with more immediate shooting ability that would complement Wembanyama better.
- Trade out of the draft for a star: The Spurs might not need another teenager. They already have youth like Wembanyama, Castle, Vassell, Sochan, and a war chest of future picks. So maybe the next move is to skip the draft entirely and chase a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kevin Durant.
- Trade Fox: Fox signed up to be Tony Parker to Wembanyama's Tim Duncan, but the Spurs weren't planning on drafting another primary ball-handler months later. If they trade Fox before he signs his extension, they can sell high on his current trade value and potentially acquire shooters that would better complement Wembanyama.
Don't Waste the Alien: If the Spurs keep loading up on guards with questionable jumpers, they're doing it around a star who should be the gravitational center of the entire offense. Instead, they're building a roster that pulls him to the perimeter while everyone else clogs the lane.
The Lesson: San Antonio must choose wisely. They have a rare opportunity to build around Wembanyama and generate an article of the same type in English while keeping the original picture intact.
