Mock draft trade could haunt the Spurs - or make them legends

This is the fifth pick in our Composite Mock Draft; check out the rest of the picks as they are revealed over the coming days leading into the 2025 NBA Draft.

Pick No. 1: The Dallas Mavericks select Cooper Flagg
Pick No. 2: The Utah Jazz select Dylan Harper
Pick No. 3: The Washington Wizards select VJ Edgecombe
Pick No. 4: The Charlotte Hornets select Tre Johnson

The San Antonio Spurs have a dilemna on their hands.

They won the second overall pick in the NBA Draft, which is fantastic. It's all the more valuable given that the 2025 NBA Draft is seen by most analysts as a "two player draft" in that there are two players who look like no-doubt future stars. Obviously, one or both of Cooper Flagg or Dylan Harper could turn out to be busts, but the odds are relatively low. They check the boxes for NBA stardom.

With Flagg a lock to go off the board at No. 1, the Spurs are in line to draft Rutgers point guard Dylan Harper. He is a big guard with fantastic passing vision, good size on defense, and excellent feel and touch as a scorer and initiator. Unfortunately, his one major flaw is his 3-point shot.

Drafting Harper would mean that the Spurs have built a backcourt around three guards who can't really shoot. That's a terrible way to construct the foundation of a backcourt, especially for a team hoping to ascend quickly in the Western Conference.

The Spurs' other option, then, is to pursue a trade out from the second overall pick. The return in such a deal would have to be significant, which is where the idea of a trade down with the Utah Jazz came about. All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen is a significant return for moving down three slots, but the Spurs can balance that out with the matching salaries heading back to Utah.

That trade idea became reality in our Fansided Composite Mock Draft, as the Spurs and Jazz officially agreed to the trade. Here is what that looks like:

Utah Jazz

Receive

No. 2 pick (Dylan Harper)

Keldon Johnson

Jeremy Sochan

Harrison Barnes

San Antonio Spurs

Receive

Lauri Markkanen

No. 5 pick

Brice Sensabaugh

The Spurs now boast a starting lineup of De'Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle, Devin Vassell, Lauri Markkanen and Victor Wembanyama and get to draft another top prospect with the fifth overall pick. In the mock draft thus far Flagg, Harper, Baylor's VJ Edgecombe and Texas sharpshooter Tre Johnson are all off the board.

Polarizing forward Ace Bailey is still available, and he represents the best upside swing, but he also seems to be somewhat the antithesis of "Spurs culture" and it's hard to see Gregg Popovich signing on to draft him. He certainly doesn't want to go to a Spurs team where he would be buried behind the likes of Wembanyama and Markkanen, either.

As the Spurs try to add shooting and perimeter defense to their roster as complementary pieces around Wemby, the perfect option is now before them with the No. 5 pick. Kon Knueppel may not have quite the same shooting upside as Tre Johnson, nor is he anything near the level of athlete as VJ Edgecombe, but he is a solid two-way wing with upside to grow as an on-ball threat. He is exactly what the Spurs need.

Therefore, with the No. 5 pick in the Fansided Composite Mock Draft, the San Antonio Spurs select Kon Knueppel, freshman wing from Duke University.

What the Spurs get with Kon Knueppel

Overshadowed playing next to Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel could have been an All-American on another team this past season -- he had an exceptional season as the Robin to Flagg's Batman. He is an elite shooter with form-perfect mechanics and footwork. He can shoot curling off of screens, relocating on the perimeter, sidestepping closeouts or pulling up with the ball in his hands. The utility on his shot is exceptional.

When given the opportunity to handle the ball and create offense he did surprisingly well given his reputation, and is a good decision-maker and passer. He is not much of an athlete, but has a bag of tricks he can use to score around the rim. On defense he is merely average in size and length to play shooting guard, but he fights hard and knows where to be.

Knueppel is the kind of player who will be a starter on a championship team if placed into the right situation. The Spurs have thrived over the years plugging such players in, and what's even better about Knueppel is that he has the upside to become something even better. He is the ideal choice for the Spurs in this mock draft.