San Antonio Spurs all-time draft bust starting lineup

Over the last two-plus decades, the San Antonio Spurs have developed a well-deserved reputation for their ability to draft. That helped them win five titles and become one of the most successful franchises in NBA history. Of course, like every other team, the Spurs have had a few draft misses that they would probably like to have back.

Fortunately, those whiffs have been few and far between for the Spurs. Even then, there are still enough failed draft picks to create a starting lineup comprised solely of busts. So let's look at the Spurs' all-time draft-bust starting five.

Point Guard: Josh Primo

The decision to draft Joshua Primo 12th overall in 2021 was surprising, considering most pundits didn't project him as a first-round pick. However, he shot up the draft board late, and the Spurs bet on him by taking him in the lottery. They bet wrong. We'll never know how good he could have been in San Antonio after the team released him earlier this season due to alleged misconduct. 

Even then, the team's decision to reach and draft him was a highly questionable move at the time, particularly with players like Alperin Sengun available. It's one thing to gamble on a player with significant upside, but was Primo's upside really that high? Probably not, but fans hoped the Spurs could work their developmental magic on him.

The Spurs will likely be fine without Primo, especially if they land Victor Wembanyama or Scoot Henderson in this year's draft. But they essentially wasted a lottery pick in the middle of a rebuild. In terms of asset management, that is nearly inexcusable, even if the team couldn't have foreseen Primo's problems. As a result, Primo earns a spot in the Spurs' all-time draft-bust starting lineup.