3 Daring 2025 NBA Draft scenarios Spurs must be prepared to gamble on

The San Antonio Spurs may not have made the NBA Playoffs this season, but there is no question that this franchise is certainly headed in the right direction. As the 2025 NBA Draft officially marks the start of the transactional portion of the NBA offseason, it will give the Spurs their first opportunity to make a bold move to improve their roster. Equipped with two projected top-16 draft picks, the Spurs will have plenty of flexibility and options to do so at the draft.

For a team like the Spurs, who are already going to be projected to be very good with their roster as-is heading into next season, they'll have the opportunity to be especially aggressive heading into the offseason.

Specifically at the 2025 NBA Draft, with plenty of flexibility, the Spurs could look to make a bold move in their attempt to take another step forward in their progression as a team. With endless possibilities, we'll explore three daring NBA Draft scenarios the Spurs should be willing to take a gamble on.

Trading into the top 5

After the consensus top 2 of Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper, the rest of the 2025 NBA Draft is becoming more and more unpredictable. That volatility could open the door to a bold option for a team like the Spurs.

With two projected first-round picks in the top 16, the Spurs could elect to package both assets in an attempt to move into the top 5. If there's a player the Spurs really like that falls to No. 4 or 5, would it be that shocking to see San Antonio use the No. 8 and No. 15 picks to jump up?

At last year's NBA Draft, the Spurs traded out of the No. 8 slot after selecting Stephon Castle with the No. 4 pick. Maybe the Spurs will do the opposite and trade up this season. If a player like Ace Bailey falls out of the top 3 and drops to No. 4 or 5, which is looking more like a plausible possibility of late, could the Spurs make the bold decision to try and trade up?

I'm not sure if the No. 8 and 16 picks would be enough compensation, but it's certainly a possibility the Spurs should be prepared for - and one they could be eyeing.

Pairing Victor Wembanyama with another 7-footer

One bold scenario that has gained some legs over the past few weeks for the Spurs heading into the 2025 NBA Draft is one that revolves around them recreating a modern version of the Twin Towers by targing another 7-footer to play next to Victor Wembanyama. How serious of a possibility this actually is remains to be seen, but with two picks essentially inside the lottery, this could be an option if San Antonio is intrigued by the idea of it.

A couple of options that could be on the table for the Spurs when they go on the clock are Khama Maluach, Derik Queen, or Thomas Sorber. Of the three options that San Antoino could consider to add to the frontcourt next to Wemby, I do believe Maluach is probably the best "basketball fit."

Even though he had a disappointing end to his freshman season at Duke, he's the type of defensive anchor who you could envision seamlessly fitting next to Wemby.

Maluach has the potential to be a defensive presence that would take significant pressure off of Wemby in the paint on that end of the floor and one who could play on the perimeter to help give Wemby the necessary space he needs to operate offensively.

How much the Spurs love the idea of playing Wemby and Maluach together remains to be seen, but it's certainly one bold option that the front office has to consider ahead of the NBA Draft.

Trading for a veteran star

With two picks projected to be in the top 16, the Spurs will have plenty of options at their disposal heading into the 2025 NBA Draft. If they want to get even bolder than the first two suggestions of trading into the top 10 or pairing Wemby with another 7-foot big man, they could look to use one (or both) of their selections to add a veteran star via trade.

After making the bold move for De'Aaron Fox at this past year's NBA Trade Deadline, it's pretty obvious that the Spurs have made the pivot toward a win-now team.

Heading into next season, the Spurs will be looking to make a move up the Western Conference standings. Adding a veteran star at some point during the offseason (perhaps at the NBA Draft) could go a long way in helping the Spurs accomplish that.

Of note, the Spurs have already been linked to Kevin Durant. San Antonio reportedly registered interest in the All-Star forward ahead of the trade deadline, and there is a belief they could end up revisiting that previous trade interest.

But KD is just one name to keep an eye on as a star player who could be available if the Spurs are feeling daring at the NBA Draft. Beyond KD, several other veteran star players could be on San Antonio's radar as well. Players such as Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant, and Cameron Johnson could also be available - and attainable - for the Spurs in the event they want to make a draft-draft upgrade via trade.

With two picks in the first round of the NBA Draft and a plethora of other assets they could dangle via trade, the Spurs' possibilities heading into the offseason are endless. Ultimately, the big question for San Antonio is, how aggressive do they want to be? It's certainly a conversation you'd have to imagine will be taking place extensively inside the front office between now and the 2025 NBA Draft.