NBA's dramatic proposed draft rule may unlock powerful wild card for Spurs

The NBA Draft lottery could soon receive a major overhaul that could affect the San Antonio Spurs long term. The proposed rule changes include not being able to have a top five pick in three consecutive drafts and being penalized for having one of the three worst records in the NBA.

San Antonio will have a first-round pick in every year going forward. However, they own swap rights with the Sacramento Kings in 2031.

That swap gives San Antonio a chance to add a lottery pick to what could be a championship-caliber team. Nevertheless, with the NBA's proposed rule changes, the value of that pick is still up in the air.

The Spurs' 2031 pick swap is a potential wildcard

While the Kings project to be a bad team in 2031, being bad isn't actually a good thing when it comes to the new draft lottery. Being one of the three worst teams actually hurts lottery odds, so the Kings have incentive to be better than that.

Then again, they have made the playoffs only once in the last 20 years. Moreover, were they to end up with a top-five pick in 2029 or 2030, then that would bar the Spurs from landing a top-five pick courtesy of the Kings.

The odds that the Kings are good enough or unlucky enough to avoid being in the bottom five in those two years seem unlikely. Therefore, San Antonio may not end up with a top-five pick like many had hoped. However, that swap could still be of value to the Spurs.

The Spurs could still net a lottery pick from the Kings

Even if the Kings' 2031 pick swap doesn't end up being a high pick, it could still be a top 10 selection. Frankly, if the Spurs are one of the best teams in the NBA in 2031, them ending up with a lottery pick courtesy of the Kings would still be a huge get.

The proposed lottery rule changes do make that less likely. Nevertheless, it doesn't foreclose the possibility of the Spurs still getting a great pick to pair with star Victor Wembanyama.

The Kings' pick is still more than five years away from being conveyed. But with the proposed rule changes, that pick swap becomes an even bigger wildcard for the Spurs.

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