Ranking 3 draft prospects by their immediate impact on Spurs' title chase

The 2026 NBA Draft is only two days away. San Antonio is coming off of their first NBA Finals run in over a decade. They didn't finish the job, but making it that far should light a fire under the front office to add players who can contribute to that cause next season. There have been 80,000 (sarcasm) mock drafts published over the past couple of months, but the Spurs' options will be limited.

Their only first-round pick came from the Atlanta Hawks, stemming from the Dejounte Murray trade way back when, and their season was more successful than expected. As a result, Brian Wright will be making the organization's first selection at 20.

That part of the draft is more difficult to project, and with a team this talented yet so young, balancing the need for immediate impact with upside is more important than ever. So, I'm going to rank a few of the prospects analysts have mocked to the Alamo City based on how much they could help the Silver and Black win a championship in the 2026-27 season.

3. Chris Cenac Jr.

SB Nation has the Spurs adding the Houston freshman to the roster in a mock draft published last week. But he hasn't been thought about for this team enough as far as I'm concerned. Cenac Jr. has the highest upside of the three guys I'll be discussing today, and it's also higher than many of the surrounding players in these projections.

He's 6'10" with a 7'5" wingspan. At 240 pounds, he plays on the perimeter, cuts well off the ball, catches lobs, and makes plays on defense. In time, he should be able to play next to Victor Wembanyama and/or back him up when The Alien needs to rest.

However, he's only 19, so he's not very strong yet.

Chris will struggle with the physicality in the league, especially as the Spurs go deep into the postseason. He's also not a very consistent shooter yet, as he only made 33% of his threes while shooting a low volume. There's a ton of potential there, and fans should consider it a great pick if Cenac Jr is chosen. Just don't be surprised if he's glued to the bench in the playoffs.

2. Cameron Carr

Carr is 6'5" with a 7'1" wingspan. He has a 42.5" vertical, and the Baylor sophomore shot 38% from three last season. He's a dynamo who can score on catch-and-shoots, on the move, or going downhill. The sneaky guard will also play some defense, rejecting shots from the weak side. He doesn't weigh that much (184 lbs), but at 21 years old, he knows how to use his size to make an impact.

There's value in taking a big man in the draft, but the Spurs could use an explosive scorer off the bench just as badly. Most people focus on San Antonio's inability to stop their opponents from attacking the paint when Wemby goes to the bench, but an underrated issue is the number of times their offense has stagnated without the star Frenchman as well.

Many of those games in the NBA Finals were low scoring, and had the Silver and Black been able to deploy a weapon that could go nuclear at any moment, things may have been different. That kind of blistering ability can flip games, and he'll be in an environment where he has an opportunity to do that since Victor and SA's guards will draw most of the attention.

1. Zuby Ejiofor

If the Spurs really want to shore up their frontcourt depth, they could select St. John's Zuby Ejiofor. The senior center is a brick house, unmovable on the block despite being undersized. The bruising defender is only 6'9", but he makes up for his height disadvantage with incredible tenacity and a 7'2" wingspan.

San Antonio wouldn't be looking to Ejiofor to stretch the floor, but his shooting form suggests he could improve in that area over time. However, he'll still add immense value on the offensive side of the floor. The fourth-year big man is a great screener and a strong rebounder with a savvy passing ability, making him the perfect connective piece for a Spurs team that has a lot of scorers.

Also, not to be underrated is his ability to switch onto smaller players. They'll occasionally get by him, but Ejiofor can make up ground with the best of him. His defensive instincts guide him to consistent defensive playmaking, and the Spurs could use more of that from their bigs not named Wembanyama.

No matter where you place most of the blame for the loss in the finals, SA's need for depth behind their superstar was undeniable. Adding a senior with size and grit should ensure he's ready to contribute from day one, providing the relief this team will need to get the job done next time.

These three prospects all bring something different to the table. Picking any one of them would set the Spurs up for a strong future, but some would make a quicker impact on the current title chase than others.

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