3 different scenarios next season based on Spurs draft decisions

The importance of this offseason can't be overstated if San Antonio plans to maximize their competition window with Victor Wembanyama on the roster. There are several differences between good and great coaches; one of them is how quickly they can improve once you give them a star player. That seems to be a forgotten factor in this equation. Coach Popovich is the leader of the team, and his basketball acumen plays a part in the trajectory of the team.

There is no one way to improve at this point in the offseason. The options are bountiful, and the Spurs are in the perfect position to delicately choose which path they want to take to reestablish their elevated status in basketball relevancy.

Spurs trade up to number one to draft Zaccharie Risacher

Zaccharie Risacher has endless potential. His length and versatility at 6'9 will make him a matchup problem for just about every team in the league but he'll have to get there first. He's still only 19 years old and just because Victor Wembanyama became a top 20 player in his rookie season does not mean that Risacher will. The benefit would likely yield astronomical long-term results.

The Spurs development staff is superb. If you put in the work, you can make leaps in your game, so the onus is on him. However, it would be difficult to see Atlanta trade the pick without the inclusion of San Antonio's fourth and eighth lottery selections.

If they did pull the trigger on such a deal, once everything was set, Wembanyama and Risacher could be an all-time one-two punch. But next season, the Spurs likely won't make the playoffs without another significant move being made in free agency or the trade market.