The San Antonio Spurs struck gold in the NBA Draft Lottery once again. It’s not as good as getting the No. 1 pick for the second time in three seasons, but it’s good enough that with the No. 2 pick, they should be able to build around Victor Wembanyama easily.
The problem is, though, per FanSided’s latest mock draft, post draft lottery, the Spurs are going to run into a backcourt problem. While Cooper Flagg has been lauded as the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Dylan Harper’s name has gained traction as the No. 2 selection.
If the Spurs draft Harper, it would be an instant upgrade for this team. But it would create a logjam in the backcourt with the reigning Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle and De’Aaron Fox. Because of Harper’s 6-foot-6 frame, he could easily move to more of a wing position. He could also be a sixth man option for the Spurs as well.
But would the Spurs want to bring Harper off the bench? And if they don’t, where does that leave Castle?
Spurs suddenly have a Stephon Castle problem they didn’t anticipate
Would the San Antonio Spurs offload Castle for Harper after he won the Rookie of the Year award? It’s possible, though I think the Spurs aren’t giving up on Castle just yet. He has a lot of upside, but there’s a lot of overlap between what he brings, Harper and Fox.
This is assuming the Spurs don’t trade out of the No. 2 pick. I don’t think Castle would immediately be traded if the Spurs take Harper. I think they would try and figure it out before offloading him, especially with the potential he has.
I think the Spurs will give it a try before making any decisions. Fox has had some injuries throughout his career so that’s something to keep in mind as the Spurs could use some depth in the backcourt too. As far as Castle, he’s primarily a scorer, but showed shades of playmaking.
The good thing is the Spurs would have a lot of young players that play so similarly, injuries wouldn’t really catapult a season. That said, they could get some depth in other areas by trading one of those guys.
The Spurs just traded for Fox at the trade deadline last year, which pretty much feels like a replacement for Chris Paul. It’s not likely they draft Harper just to trade him, which leaves Castles as the odd man out.
This season could be critical for Castle as it could determine his future in San Antonio. Not that they don’t want keep him, but they may not need to if Harper turns out to be the second best player in the 2025 draft.