The San Antonio Spurs have not made a selection inside the top ten of the NBA Draft order since they brought in Tim Duncan with the No. 1 overall pick in 1997. Assuming they stand pat with the No. 9 overall pick, they will break that streak with this year’s selection.
There are a variety of different options the Spurs could go with their No. 9 overall pick. According to Rafael Barlowe of NBA Big Board, there is a sense around the league that San Antonio is targeting a traditional center with the No. 9 overall pick — including Jalen Duren and Mark Williams.
“Several scouts and agents I have spoken with believe the Spurs have their sights set on a traditional center, with Jalen Duren and Mark Williams in the mix for the ninth pick.”
Jakob Poeltl is entering the final year of his current contract and will be a free agent next offseason as a result. There’s been talk about a contract extension and even if the Spurs were to draft a center, there’s a case to be made for getting a multi-year deal done still.
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Duren, 18, is one of the youngest players in the 2022 NBA Draft and is widely considered a development prospect due to his raw skill-set. The Spurs could be patient with his development if they keep Poeltl around to remain as the short-term starting center.
Mark Williams has often been projected to go right outside the top 10 in the 2022 NBA Draft based on expert projections. Duren seems primed to be the first to be taken and most teams ahead of the Spurs likely aren’t going to be looking to use a top ten selection on a traditional center.
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There’s still a relatively long time until the 2022 NBA Draft and things can change (in professional sports terms). For now, the San Antonio Spurs appear to be a team to watch for a traditional center.
