Unveiling San Antonio Spurs mid-season 2024 NBA Draft big board

Spurs 2024 NBA Draft prospects: bigs

At the time of writing, there has been no indication that Zach Collins is going anywhere via trade this offseason (even after being relegated to the bench), Victor Wembanyama is continuing to do Victor Wembanyama things, and Dominick Barlow has emerged in the wake of Charles Bassey’s season-ending knee injury. And while I don’t think any of these things would necessarily stop the Spurs from selecting a big man in the draft, those factors certainly add a wrinkle to that possibility. For that reason, this is almost certainly the most questionable group of prospects featured here.

Sheer upside will continue to be a priority for the Spurs in their assessment of big man prospects, but Wembanyama’s presence will force the Spurs to consider team fit and general draft value more with these players in comparison to wing and guard prospects. The team selecting a big within the top 10 is difficult to imagine at this stage, but if they can find a player with the versatility to play with or without Wembanyama on the court, it remains a slim possibility.

Alexandre Sarr - Perth Wildcats

Approximate measurements: 7-foot-1; 216 pounds; 7-foot-5 wingspan

If the Spurs are going to spend a lottery pick on another big man, Perth’s Alex Sarr strikes me as the only player who stands a decent chance right now. He fits the recent trend of highly mobile defensive-minded bigs that have tangible offensive upside beyond rim-running and play-finishing. Sarr can hold his own on the perimeter on defense, is a talented shot-blocker, has good shooting touch for his size, and is comfortable with putting the ball on the floor.

Even so, Sarr’s fit with Wembanyama on the floor, particularly given how similar their builds are to one another, leaves several questions lingering. Sarr playing at the power forward position early on will almost surely lead to mixed results at best, and Spurs fans have already gotten to experience how much more impactful Wembanyama playing at center is for the team. Purely from a talent perspective, Sarr is deservingly a top-5 prospect, but several wing and guard prospects toward the top of the board would be a significantly better fit in comparison.

Yves Missi - Baylor

Approximate measurements: 7-foot-0; 235 pounds; 7-foot-6 wingspan

Yves Missi has slowly been creeping up draft boards lately, and at the moment, he strikes me as the best-fitting big man prospect for the Spurs. His big body, good screen setting, mobility, play-finishing ability, and rebounding all complement Wembanyama well were he to share the floor with him, but he could also anchor a bench unit quite well on his own. After seeing him play in person, I’d argue the touch on his shot is a bit better than his numbers suggest as well.

Once again, however, whether or not the Spurs select him will likely come down to value. If the Spurs’ protected Raptors pick were to fall toward the end of the lottery, this selection could make some sense depending on who is still available. But the higher in the lottery the pick lands, the tougher that pick will be to stomach, especially given his lack of ball-handling abilities. Regardless, Missi is quite good and someone to still keep an eye on.

DaRon Holmes II - Dayton

Approximate measurements: 6-foot-10; 235 pounds; 7-foot-1 wingspan

Dayton junior DaRon Holmes is a name we’ve been keeping tabs on for quite some time now and is someone who could have been in the cards for the Spurs this past draft had he decided to stay in it. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound big man is someone who has been classified as a bit of a “tweener” in the past, yet has remained incredibly productive every year in college and is now easily having the best three-point shooting season of his career, hitting 39% of his 2.6 attempts per game this season.

Holmes’ frame in conjunction with the physicality of the NBA will likely be a big adjustment for him early on, but his feel for the game on both ends of the floor continues to serve him well, and I find it incredibly difficult to believe that he won’t find ways to be effective in NBA games. Furthermore, Holmes could come at the best value of any player listed here, particularly if he can be had in the 2nd round of the draft. If Holmes is still available after the lottery, expect the Spurs to have some level of interest.

Donovan Clingan - UConn

Approximate measurements: 7-foot-2; 280 pounds; 7-foot-7 wingspan

I can’t help but find myself thinking of Jakob Poeltl when watching UConn sophomore Donovan Clingan. His game is defined by fundamentally sound defense, efficient scoring around the basket, good complementary playmaking ability, and consistent rebounding. He profiles as a center who, despite lacking positional versatility, can find ways to mesh well in several different lineups and contexts, and San Antonio would likely love to have that back again.

Clingan comes with a certain amount of risk, however, as he’s been plagued by foot injuries during his time with UConn and has serious durability questions. Stellar medicals during the pre-draft process this coming spring and summer could ease those concerns to some degree, but at his size, foot and other lower-body injuries tend to scare teams in the modern NBA. He’s a lottery-level talent, but he needs to stay on the court for him to solidify that status.

Honorable mentions

Ulrich Chomche (NBA Academy Africa), Zvonimir Ivisic (Kentucky), Trevon Brazile (Arkansas), Adem Bona (UCLA), Kel’el Ware (Indiana)