Spurs used 2024 NBA draft to solve backcourt issues. The Timberwolves … did not
San Antonio held two top-eight selections in what was considered at the time, and is ultimately looking to be, a weak NBA Draft class. The jury is still out on a number of players — centers Donovan Clingan (Portland) and Zach Edey (Memphis) haven’t been disappointments and Washington forward Alex Sarr has promise. But in terms of solidfied, top-end contributors selected in the first-round that summer, the Spurs currently have the only one: Stephon Castle.
The Spurs starting guard is San Antonio’s best perimeter defender and averaged 17 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game this season. San Antonio nabbed Castle with the No. 4 selection on that June evening.
The Spurs have had a string of lottery luck in recent years, and have capitalized on each opportunity. They selected Victor Wembanyama No. 1 overall in 2023, Castle at No.
4 and Dylan Harper with the second overall selection last summer. It didn’t use the No. 8 pick in 2024.
Intead, the Spurs traded it to Minnesota in exchange for the Wolves’ 2031 first-round pick. The Wolves used the pick to take Rob Dillingham, the supposed starting point guard of the future. Dillingham struggled to crack the rotation in Minnesota and was inconsistent, at best, in his minutes before he was finally dealt to Chicago at this year’s trade deadline along with Leonard Miller and a bag of second-round picks for Ayo Dosunmu.