Spurs can kiss draft lottery dreams goodbye if surprising prediction come true

If you're a fan of the San Antonio Spurs, which if you're reading Air Alamo, I suspect you are, you have no doubt been keeping a close eye on the NBA standings. Not just to see where the Spurs stand but also how the Atlanta Hawks have been doing too.

The Spurs, of course, have the right to swap picks with Atlanta, and many fans had hoped that it would result in San Antonio ending up with a lottery selection. However, the odds of that happening now aren't great. Despite having been without their best player, Trae Young, for more than a month, they have been solid, going 11-7 in that span.

Unfortunately for San Antonio, that seemingly guarantees that whatever the Hawks' pick ends up being, it won't be a lottery selection. The Hawks currently have the 13th-best record in the league, with Bleacher Report projecting them to go a respectable 45-37. Meanwhile, the Spurs currently have the 5th-best record in the NBA.

That means that the Spurs would end up with the 17th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, while the Hawks would end up with the 25th pick. It might not be what Spurs fans were hoping for, but it would still be a solid selection.

The Spurs can still get value from the Atlanta Hawks' 2026 first

Although San Antonio would be moving up just eight spots at the moment, that will still be a welcome scenario for San Antonio. That's considering the Spurs are currently on pace to win 57 games this season. That's not nothing, particularly when factoring in that the team that had the 17th pick in this year's draft won only 44 games.

Were the Spurs to end up with the 17th pick, there is no doubt that they could find value in a much better 2026 NBA Draft. Remember, San Antonio has a long history of finding draft gems when selecting in the late 20s with players such as Tony Parker, Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, and Keldon Johnson.

Them finding a draft steal in the teens seems like a real possibility and was made possible by the Dejounte Murray trade, which gave San Antonio the ability to swap picks. That trade also allowed them to bottom out, putting them in a position to draft Victor Wembanyama.

The Spurs also use Atlanta's pick to draft Carter Bryant, with this pick swap giving them a chance to run up the score in a trade they've already won.

Ultimately, while the Hawks have been far better than expected, the Spurs should still benefit from being able to swap picks with Atlanta. Especially if the Spurs win over 55 games this season and are able to end up with a pick in the teens courtesy of Atlanta.