Spurs' 2022 mock draft roundup: Who will be the lottery pick?

We're a little over a week away from finding out where the San Antonio Spurs will be selecting in the 2022 NBA Draft.

On May 17th, the NBA Draft Lottery will be taking place, an event that once changed the future of the franchise forever 25 years ago. There are nine different spots in which the Spurs can land after the drawing takes place: any position from 1st-4th and any position from 9th-13th.

While you can find the exact odds of San Antonio landing at each spot here, the most likely scenario (50.7%) is that the Spurs will be selecting 9th in June's NBA Draft. Like their last two lottery picks, Joshua Primo and Devin Vassell, it's highly likely this pick will be someone they can plug in right away to make a difference on the court.

Since there's only about a 3.1% chance the Spurs slip to spots 11, 12, or 13, they'll likely be selecting in the top 10 for the first time since they struck it rich and took Tim Duncan first in 1997. With the draft still about a month and a half away, various names are being floated around as possible picks by San Antonio at the ninth position.

Let's learn a little about each prospect mocked to the Spurs from various outlets, starting with the guys only mentioned once.

Keegan Murray, Iowa

Site: SB Nation
Date of Mock: 4/5/22
Position in last Air Alamo Draft: 11th

SB Nation's Ricky O'Donnell had two-way talent Keegan Murray heading to San Antonio in his early April mock draft. Standing at 6-8 with a 6-11 reach, Murray has the kind of versatility on both ends of the floor the Spurs are lacking.

On offense, he can score inside with shifty paint moves while also burying long-range bombs. He's also an explosive option in transition when he has teammates running the floor alongside him. Defensively, his impressive lateral quickness is something the Spurs also need from their frontcourt, and he keeps his hands active throughout possessions.

A few months ago, Air Alamo's Dylan Carter did a deep dive into why Murray could be a game-changer in San Antonio.