2019 NBA Mock Draft: Tankers beware

It appears the Spurs are moving forward as if nothing is different, as if there is not a franchise-changing shadow overlooking every move the franchise makes over the next 18 months. Kawhi Leonard might not be in San Antonio much longer, but the Spurs aren’t letting that impact how they build the rest of their team.

On Thursday, the Spurs drafted Lonnie Walker IV, a smart, athletic guard who gives the team offensive upside it has not had in the backcourt since early last decade, when Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili were new in town. The Spurs also found out Danny Green would accept his player option and play under his current contract for the final season. That gives the Spurs some certainty at the guard spots heading into next year.

But the fact remains that if Leonard is traded (which he should be if he truly does not want to re-sign with the Spurs long-term), the team will be bad next season. This projection actually sets them up much higher than they should be, because oddsmakers are attempting to balance the chances of Leonard staying with the possibility that the Spurs are a contender to woo LeBron James.

I find it much more likely that the Spurs draft in the teens next season, but that doesn’t mean Holman would not still be an option.

Though he will be one of the older players in next year’s draft, Holman has the tools to become a unicorn big man. Last season, he shot 44 percent from 3 and blocked nearly nine percent of opponents’ shots when he was on the court. That statistical combination is nearly impossible to find in college basketball.