Stay tuned to InsideTheSpurs.com as we bring you daily the latest Spurs news leading up to the lottery, combine and draft.
JUNE 9: SPURS TO HOST MULTIPLE ELITE NBA DRAFT PROSPECTS FOR WORKOUTS
The San Antonio Spurs are hosting several highly touted NBA draft prospects for practice on Thursday. per multiple reports from across the league.
G League Ignite guard Dyson Daniels, Colorado forward Jabari Walker and Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia are just a few of the names reportedly demonstrating their skills for the team.
Daniels is arguably the most elite prospect in this training cycle, having been projected as a lottery pick in most mock drafts. The 6-6, 199-pound Aboriginal Australians filled the stats list last season with the G League Ignite. He averaged 11.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 32 minutes per game in 15 contests.
Walker was a talented scorer for the Buffs last season as he was fourth in the Pac 12 at 14.9 points per game.
LaRavia was an all-rounder for the Demon Deacons last season. He averaged 14.6 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists on a highly efficient 55.9 percent shooting clip.
JUNE 7: HOST SANTA CLARA PUSHES FORWARD JALEN WILLIAMS FOR PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT
The Spurs appear to be welcoming Santa Clara forward Jalen Williams for a pre-draft workout. after a picture posted by SBNation Tuesday.
Williams was a force to be reckoned with in the West Coast Conference last season. He led the conference with 18 points per game on a high-efficiency shooting 51.3 percent while averaging 4.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 34.8 minutes per game in 33 starts for the Broncos scored
Williams had an 18-game double-digit scoring streak earlier in the year and only had two games in single digits. He also had to contend with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, one of the nation’s best programs last season and the team that boasted likely top-three picks overall and talented freshman Chet Holmgren.
Almost certain of being selected on June 23, Williams would join notable Santa Clara alumni Steve Nah and Kurt Rambis to be selected in the NBA draft.
JUNE 6: SPURS HOSTING LSU FORWARD TARI EASON FOR WORKOUT
With multiple first-round picks, Spurs have endless talented options to choose from once the 2022 NBA draft begins on March 23.
One name, LSU forward Tari Eason, has been of the greatest interest to Spurs fans lately. And with one of his many pre-draft workouts scheduled with San Antonio next week, a dream scenario of Spurs picking the long-armed, athletic big man in the first round could be closer to reality.
Athletic reported on Monday Eason will coach for the Spurs alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers and Southwest Division rivals the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets.
Last season, Eason served as a sixth-man option for the Tigers off the bench but still led the team in points (16.9), blocks (1.1) and field goal percentage (52.1) on. The 6-8, 216-pound Los Angeles native has a keen eye for getting points in the paint. He’s also proven he can develop into a respectable shooter, having put down 28 3-pointers last season.
It’s also promising that Eason shot 80.3 from the foul line on a team high of 188 tries. Once established on an NBA roster, aggressive drives to the rim will be rewarded with solid production from the free throw line.
JUNE 3: SPURS HOSTING WISCONSIN GUARD JOHNNY DAVIS FOR TRAINING
One intriguing draft prospect to pick the No. 9 Spurs in a handful of sham drafts was Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, who would have star-like potential and make a strong addition to San Antonio’s backcourt.
And now these projections could be closer to reality. The Spurs will host Davis for pre-draft practice sometime next week, according to a report Thursday night the athlete.
“Playing under Coach Popovich, the most famous coach in NBA history, would be something I would really like to have,” Davis said during the NBA Combine.
Davis was simply one of the best players in college basketball this past season. One of four finalists for the Naismith Player of the Year Award, the 6-5, 194-pound La Crosse, WI. Native led the Badgers in points (19.7), rebounds (8.2), and steals (1.2).
Under the Spurs’ legendary development system and shooting coach Chip Engelland, Davis’ athleticism, control and rebounding ability could make him a future All-Star should San Antonio draft him
MAY 23: CURRENT CONSENSUS PROJECTIONS FOR SPURS
Compiling all of the latest mock draft projections from major publications, the consensus pick for the Spurs is to meet Memphis center Jalen Duren with the No. 9 overall pick.
Duren stands at 6-foot-11 with a 7-foot-5 wingspan with plenty of athleticism. He specializes in doing the dirty work on both ends of the floor and showed it by averaging 12.0 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 25.3 minutes per game in Memphis.
There’s a lot to like about how Duren can serve as an NBA-clearance rim roller and general play finisher. Factor in his ability to block shots and he has a solid two-way advantage to anchor a unit that has Dejounte Murray at the point of attack.
On the day of the 2022 NBA draft, Duren will be one of the youngest draft picks in his class. Other joint projections for the Spurs include Johnny Davis and Jeremy Sochan.
MAY 16: ROCK CHALK: Spurs on host Kansas forward Jalen Wilson for a pre-draft workout
The Spurs welcomed Kansas Jayhawks forward Jalen Wilson to a pre-draft practice session, according to reports Monday The Topeka Capital Journal.
The 6-8, 225-pound Denton, Texas native was invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp and wasted no time as the event kicked off Monday at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena. Wilson got the start for Team One, playing 18 minutes and scoring a game-high 18 points on 6-10 shooting, including 4-6 from 3-point range. He also added six rebounds and three assists.
Team One walked away with a 97-81 victory over Team Two.
Wilson was an integral part of the Jayhawks’ run to a national championship win in April. He scored 15 points and had four rebounds as Kansas rallied from 16 down to beat North Carolina 72-69 in the title game.
In the regular season, Wilson averaged 11.1 points in 37 games, a team-high 7.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 46.1 shooting percent. He had seven double-doubles this season and scored a season-high 23 points on 10-13 shooting in Kansas’ 85-59 win over West Virginia on Jan. 15.
A bulky forward with the potential to develop stretch-four skills, Wilson would fit in well under Gregg Popovich, having learned under Bill Self’s legendary coaching wing in Kansas.
Wilson is still deciding whether to stay drafted or return to college for another season.
MAY 13: SPURS PERFORM WORKOUT FOR NC STATE FRESHMAN GUARD
The Spurs held pre-draft practice for North Carolina State freshman guard Terquavion Smith on Friday, according to reports from Fanside.
Smith averaged 16.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals on 39.8 percent shooting in his only collegiate season.
Shot efficiency and assist numbers are a bit of a question mark, but Smith is still a raw talent who will certainly be a work in progress in the G-League should Spurs pick him.
A smooth shooter from the catch and dribble, Smith would be a great pick for a Spurs team looking to develop a young, confident guard with a high offensive ceiling.
MAY 9: SPURS HOSTED TULSA FORWARD TO PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT
The San Antonio Spurs performed a pre-draft workout with Tulsa forward Jeriah Horne at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in Portsmouth, VA in late April, according to reports from SBNation Tuesday.
Horne averaged 16.1 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals on a highly efficient 41.5 percent from 3-point range for the Golden Hurricanes. While he certainly doesn’t bank on brands from the deep (only 66 brands a year), Horne can top up when needed.
The Overland Park, KS. The Horne native has been in college since 2016, has had brief stints in Nebraska and Colorado, and at 24 is on the older side of most draftees. But with a respectable NBA size of 6-7, 205 and a pro-level offensive scoring ability, Horne has received understandable interest from the Spurs.
A potentially overlooked aspect of Horne’s design value is its durability. Aside from red-shirting in the 2017-2018 season at Tulsa, Horne has played in 29 or more games in every college season that he has played. He appeared in all 63 possible games with Tulsa, starting in 23 of those.
The Los Angeles Lakers are now another team to keep an eye on as the organization announced via press release that Horne will coach for the team on Tuesday.
Regardless of where he lands, fans of his new team will soon spot the miracle shot Horne hit to win over UCF in early March last season.
MAY 9: SPURS HOLD PRE-DRAFT WORKOUT FOR LSU FORWARD AND ALABAMA GUARD
The San Antonio Spurs are aiming for star power in this year’s draft. Three first-round draft picks in the hands of general manager Brian Wright sounds like a deadly combination.
But as always, the front office will continue to carefully review potential second-round candidates.
And two potential suitors? LSU forward Darius Days and Alabama guard Keon Ellis, for whom the Spurs hosted pre-draft workouts over the weekend of April 30-May 1, said a source close to the situation SB Nation.
Days, who started all 33 games he played for the Tigers last season, offers the ideal stretch big ability that San Antonio desperately needs. While a little short for a true NBA big man role at 6-7, he packs a punch with a 245-pound frame.
The Raleigh, FL. The native averaged 13.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game last season while leading the Tigers with 69 marks from 3-point ranges. Already with the confidence to fly it, Days could be an interesting developmental piece should Spurs pull the trigger to draft him.
The Spurs could also take Ellis, who was an Alabama teammate of San Antonio’s 2021 first-round pick Josh Primo.
At 6-6, 175, Ellis’ long physique and height could give Spurs another intriguing prospect with high 3-and-D potential. As a guard, he led the Crimson Tide in total rebounds (201) last season and was the team’s top leader in total steals (64). The Eustis, FL. Native also proved to be an efficient 3-point shooter, leading the Tide on 3-point percent (36.6) and finishing second overall from deep (67).
Overall, Ellis averaged 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting an impressive 88.1 percent from the foul line on 101 attempts.
Ellis’ only downside is his low assist counts. Still, the box score doesn’t tell the whole story as it could refute that notion with an impressive performance at the combine.