athletic on the spurs draft options

Interesting thoughts from the Athletic on what the Spurs should do with 4 and 8: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5539617/2024/06/05/spurs-nba-draft-picks-victor-wembanyama/

tl;dr

• look to how orlando drafted suggs and franz at 5 and 8; drafting is for fit within the organizational entity, and they both were two-way players who were above-average size for their position
• spurs tend to emphasize two-way picks also
• castle is good at 4 for this draft but probably an average lottery pick in a typical draft
• clingan is also good at 8, probably can play with wemby like how gobert-KAT worked out
• stay flexible in general – tidjane salaun has potential but lacks offensive skill; similar to sochan and might want to decide on getting rid of one for the other

lastly, their thoughts on trading the picks, which I think are worth reading in full:

 I wouldn’t trade both of them, but I can envision them moving one. I also expect them to trade the No. 35 pick or use it on a player they can stash overseas next season. They already have seven players with two years or less of NBA experience on the roster. Adding three more would make for a bad recipe.
Perhaps the Spurs make a consolidation trade involving some of their young players. Maybe that includes No. 8, maybe it doesn’t, but they should listen if a team presented them an offer with a more accomplished younger player entering their prime. For instance, if Cleveland made Darius Garland available, I’d be willing to include the No. 8 pick to acquire him. But it’d take a player like that to part with either lottery selection.

The Spurs could also trade down, especially if Clingan falls beyond the top three. The teams picking from No. 4 to No. 8 all have young centers on their roster: Wembanyama with the Spurs, Jalen Duren with the Pistons, Mark Williams with the Hornets and Deandre Ayton (and Robert Williams III) with the Blazers. That might entice a team picking below them to trade up to get Clingan, and the Spurs having the No. 4 pick puts them in the driver’s seat in such a scenario. Alternatively, if Clingan somehow fell down to No. 8 without someone trading up — a scenario I don’t expect to happen — the Spurs could trade down the board and pick up extra value.