Dylan Harper, you are (likely) a member of the San Antonio Spurs. After the Dallas Mavericks select Duke superstar Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick in Wednesday's NBA Draft, the Spurs are expected to snag Harper, a guard from Rutgers, with the No. 2 pick, and pair him with De'Aaron Fox and last year's top pick, Stephon Castle, in the Spurs backcourt.
But that won't end the night for San Antonio, which has another lottery pick that it got from Atlanta — No. 14. In a deep draft, that pick is a massive chance for the Spurs to pair Harper with another high-ceiling rookie. Assuming Harper is the pick at No. 2, here are some options at No. 14 that should thrill Spurs fans.
Spurs can boost frontcourt and backcourt by taking Dylan Harper and Derik Queen
Harper isn't a seamless fit in San Antonio — which already has De'Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle manning the backcourt — but he's good enough that the Spurs are (rightfully) just going to draft him and figure out the rest later.
Picking Queen at No. 14 would be the rare pick that satisfies both "best fit" and "best player available," because if Queen is still on the board at the last pick of the lottery, he would surely be the best player still available.
San Antonio doesn't really have a big man outside of Wemby. Not just not a capable big man... there's not another big on the whole roster! Queen and Wemby would immediately form one of the most exciting, versatile young frontcourts in the league. Neither is a traditional big, and their highlights will look unlike any other NBA frontcourt in history.
Cedric Coward could be worth a swing at No. 14
One of the biggest risers in the draft cycle, Cedric Coward of Washington State (Palouse stand up) is, theoretically, the kind of prospect that NBA front offices would go to war for. Extremely long wingspan, great athlete, high-level 3-point shooter, and potentially a switchable defender.
We saw how important Aaron Nesmith was to Indiana's postseason run — Coward might be able to fill that role for a team, and San Antonio might be the ideal spot for him to do it.
Coward had an extremely unique college path, which started at Division III Willamette University in Salem, Oregon. He was injured most of last season so he only played six games at Washington State, meaning most of his college tape is against mid-major competition. That shouldn't stop San Antonio from giving him a long look though, especially because we respect the Big Sky around here.
Nique Clifford would be a safe — and smart — pick for the Spurs
The Spurs' roster is about to be stocked with young talent, but when a team is trying to lift itself into contention, sometimes a safe, smart draft pick is the way to go. Nique Clifford of Colorado State isn't going to be a star in the NBA, but he's almost guaranteed to be a productive, helpful player right off the bat.
He averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game for the Rams last year while shooting a career-best from 3-point range. He's a little turnover-prone but won't be asked to initiate offense much in San Antonio so that shouldn't really be a problem.
Clifford might not be the most exciting pick at No. 14, because he doesn't have the upside that other wings do who will be picked around the late lottery. But even with Wemby, Fox and Harper likely to be a thrilling trio, the Spurs roster at large is still multiple pieces away from being a threat in the West. Taking Clifford could age really well if San Antonio makes a leap in the next few years. He won't be the No. 1 option, but he won't need to be.
What could the Spurs do with their second round pick?
San Antonio will wait until pick No. 38 to pick again after its two lottery picks, and at that point, the team should just look for players they think can earn minutes off the bench. Johni Broome of Auburn could be a fun backup forward option, Koby Brea of Kentucky could bring some shooting upside to the bench unit and Amari Williams' could end up being a second-round steal that seemed obvious five years from now.