The perfect prospect for the Spurs at each draft position

By now, fans of the San Antonio Spurs have no doubt made up their minds about who the team should draft with the fourth and eighth picks, but which players would provide the best fit? And what about the team's other two picks? With the Spurs having one of the youngest teams in the NBA, adding four more prospects between the ages of 18 and 22 to their roster would only make them younger.

However, getting help at point guard and small forward could help them get better, but it is largely dependent on how the top of the draft turns out. There is also the possibility of the Spurs trading up in the draft to land their desired player in hopes of finding a long-term answer in a position of need.

They may, instead, look to consolidate or even trade their selections, particularly their second-rounders, for future picks several years down the road when they actually need them. Assuming that they will use each pick, next we will take a look and see who the Spurs should select with the fourth, eighth, 35th, and 48th picks in the 2024 draft.

48th Pick: Trentyn Flowers

Assuming that the Spurs don't try to trade this pick for a future second, they should take a chance on Trentyn Flowers if he is still available at 48. At 48, Flowers would be a nice flyer for the Spurs to take considering his age at 19, size at 6'7, quickness, and athleticism.

He spent most of this season playing in Australia's National Basketball League (NBL) and while he didn't put up big numbers, he did show enough flashes to warrant consideration. Flowers looks comfortable playing with the ball in his hands and is capable of blowing by his defender and getting to the rim.

That is a useful skill for a player of his size to have, though he isn't enough of a playmaker at this point to suggest that could be his role in the NBA. Still, his activity level on both ends of the floor is intriguing; he is a good cutter and should be effective on the fastbreak, but he will need to improve his shot to be a useful offensive player. Defensively, Flowers has room to grow but with a season or two in the G-League, he might develop into a worthwhile player for the Spurs.

35th Pick: Cam Christie

San Antonio will also be selecting 35th in the second round. With the draft split into two days, picking in the top five of the later round may give them an advantage. They will get extra time to evaluate the remaining prospects, and if he is still available, then they may pick guard Cam Christie.

Christie has the makings of an NBA player with his size and shooting ability, after nailing 39.1% of his threes, as well as his defensive potential. At 20 years old, he is still young enough to be molded into the player the Spurs want him to be.

Better yet, they could take advantage of picking high in the second round by snagging Christie and signing him to an advantageous deal or even just using one of the three two-way roster spots on him. Having him spend a year or two in the G-League may theoretically turn him into a rotation player who could become a useful backup to Devin Vassell. Having a sharpshooter off the bench who can potentially defend too would be worth taking a chance on with the 35th pick.

8th Pick: Devin Carter

Drafting Devin Carter makes a lot of sense for the Spurs, with him potentially being able to start at point guard next season, making him too good to pass up at eight. Carter looks like he could be a difference-maker immediately for next year's Spurs, but he flew under the radar until an impressive showing at the NBA Combine, where he posted a stellar 42-inch vertical leap, which was tied for the best there.

Add in that he measured out at 6'3 with a 6'9 wingspan and Carter looks like a terrific NBA prospect. Especially after a strong season at Providence, where he averaged 19.7 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. His big 6.7 points per game scoring leap from his sophomore to junior season was a result of a drastically improved shot, in which he drilled 37.7% of his 6.8 3-point attempts per game.

Being able to shoot from the outside, finish at the rim, and rebound all make him a nice fit. Not to mention that he is also a terrific defender. Carter may even be the team's long-term answer at point guard for the Spurs, which would be great value for the 8th pick.

4th Pick: Stephon Castle

Despite questions about which position he'll play in the NBA, Stephon Castle appears to be the best possible fit of any player projected to fall to the Spurs at four. His size at 6'5 1/2 as well as his length at 6'10 and 1/2 help him to defend multiple positions, and that should translate to the NBA, where he'll likely be asked to guard point guards, shooting guards, and small forwards.

Offensively, his role is less clear-cut, but he could play a lot on the ball, either as a second or third playmaker. Castle, himself, wants to play point guard in the NBA, but if he were to play on the Spurs, he would spend time off-ball with Devin Carter, Devin Vassell, and Wembanyama creating.

The Spurs would have to work with him on improving his jumper to keep teams from sagging off both him and Jeremy Sochan. Even still, he does things like cut or hang out in the dunker spot to make defenses pay for underestimating him without the ball.

If Castle can be a good playmaker when he does have the ball and effective enough when he doesn't, then he should be a fine offensive player for the Spurs. However, his defensive potential and versatility may be his biggest selling points.

They can put him on the other team's best guard or wing and have him harass them. With no exploitable weak links on the perimeter, that would make Wembanyama's job a lot easier defending the paint, with him serving as a formidable second line of defense. Overall, picking Stephon Castle, Devin Carter, Cam Christie, and Trentyn Flowers would be a terrific draft for the Spurs.