3 Newest Spurs provide most wholesome moment you'll ever see
By Josh Paredes
The San Antonio Spurs welcomed three new players to the family during Thursday's NBA Draft, and it already looks like they're going to fit in well.
While we've been speculating for weeks that the Spurs would likely package a couple of picks to either move up or gain an existing asset, the front office did no such thing. Instead, they selected Jeremy Sochan, Malaki Branham, and Blake Wesley with picks nine, 20, and 25.
San Antonio did make one trade, however -- drafting and sending off Kennedy Chandler to the Memphis Grizzlies for a future second-round pick and cash.
There's a lot to like about the Spurs' picks on paper -- such as Sochan's elite defensive skills and Branham's flashes of being a three-level scorer. Beyond that, though, the three of them seem to have the types of personalities Coach Popovich and company always love.
Before the draft even began, Branham was hyping up Sochan on the red carpet.
The three newest Spurs share a wholesome moment
The moment of the night, however, happened when all the dust settled and three new men had joined the Silver and Black.
Meeting together after the draft, they were asked if they already had known each other. "[I know him] from before the pre-draft. When he came out," said Sochan of Branham. "We did the same workout," added Wesley. As Wesley tells it, Sochan was supposed to be on his AAU team until COVID-19 hit and he wasn't allowed to travel.
The moment was full of smiles and excitement, and Spurs fans everywhere ate it all up.
Fortunately for fans of the new trio, it looks like the Spurs intend to keep all three of their new guys going forward, with at least the two later picks likely to see a lot of time with the Austin Spurs.
When the NBA Draft Combine occurred a month ago, Branham's shining personality was on full display as he interviewed with ESPN, which I shared on Twitter. Meanwhile, Tom Orsborn of the San Antonio Express-News previously shared how well Sochan's initial meeting with the Spurs went.
While they'll still need to prove themselves on the court, it's easy to see why Spurs fans are embracing these three young guys immediately.