Spurs’ most likely draft targets (according to everyone who matters)

Get ready, Spurs fans. It's mock draft season. The NBA Draft Lottery is just around the corner, marking a colossal day for Alamo City.

With their own 8th overall pick, San Antonio has a 6% chance of jumping to the number one overall selection, likely striking gold with Cooper Flagg, and a 26.2% chance of claiming a top-four selection.

The Spurs also hold the 14th overall pick, with a 0.7% chance at the holy grail and a 3.4% chance to enter the top four. Say thank you to the Atlanta Hawks.

If the ball doesn't fall in the Spurs' favor, they will stand pat with two lottery picks. Luckily for them, there is a bevy of blossoming youngsters ready to hit the NBA floor.

Spurs General Manager Brian Wright can go about this in various ways. Will he look for an electric sixth man of the future? A crafty big man to fit alongside Victor Wembanyama? Or perhaps a do-it-all wing ready to make his presence felt on day one? That remains to be seen.

The options create an endless headache, but I am here to cure the pain. In this article, I have collected the results of how many draft experts predict the Spurs' draft day to go. Each player listed is featured in the latest mock drafts of many reputable publications, giving you a deep look into what could go down for the Spurs on draft night.

G Kasparas Jakucionis, Illinois

Featured on CBS and Bleacher Report

With questions regarding Chris Paul's free agency this summer, the Spurs will likely be on the hunt for their next backup point guard behind new arrival De'Aaron Fox. Kasparas Jakucionis would be a shoo-in.

Jakucionis is a lengthy 6'6" with excellent playmaking chops. His tape from last season is full of electric passes at impossible angles. An ideal replacement for the future Hall-of-Famer. Although he lacks an efficient three-ball, Jakucionis averaged 15 points at Illinois this past season, displaying a canny ability to score buckets.

Even as a freshman, Jakucionis proved to be an NBA-ready player who can contribute on day one for the playoff-contending Spurs. The pairing would make for a dynamic playmaking duo alongside reigning Rookie of the Year Stephon Castle.

F Derik Queen, Maryland

Featured on Yahoo

You may remember the name from a very special moment in this year's edition of March Madness. Derik Queen knocked down a beautiful, leaning jump shot to send his Maryland Terrapins to the Sweet 16. This shot was a prime example of everything the talented forward is capable of.

Queen has a unique build, standing at 6'10" and 246 pounds. Despite his size, Queen has guard-like abilities off the dribble, equipped with a vast toolbelt of moves. Queen's jumpshot is still in the works, but alongside Wembanyama, Queen will have the luxury of time to work on his stroke.

Defensively, Queen would fit right in, able to use his size and agility to roam rather than sit in the paint. A pairing of Queen and Wembanyama is a match made in heaven.

F Carter Bryant, Arizona

Featured on NBA.com

Arizona's own Carter Bryant, a new lottery member, has risen up draft boards for his widely needed 3-and-D skill set. This past season, the Spurs needed a strong perimeter defender and someone they could count on to sink open looks; Carter could be a two-in-one package.

At 19, Bryant only produced 6.5 points in college and is a raw talent, but his upside as a rangy defender and a knockdown shooter is limitless. Bryant has a keen ability to move off the ball and ready himself for a shot. Playing alongside a cast of playmakers, he would get plenty of opportunities. Bryant eclipsed 37% on three-point tries last season; the same rate in the NBA would go a long way.

Carter will need to prove he can play big minutes and contribute for long stretches, but with the right training and development, he could be a mainstay in the Spurs rotation.

G Kon Knueppel, Duke

Featured on The Ringer

Shooting is a luxury in the NBA, and teams will go out of their way to find it, including spending a precious lottery pick on it. That's what the Spurs would be doing here; Kon Knueppel is a sniper.

At Duke this past season, the 19-year-old produced 14.4 points per game with 2.2 three-point makes a game on an enticing 40.6% clip. Knueppel knows how to knock it down, and he did so for one of the nation's best college teams. He continued to show off his talents in the tournament, scoring over twenty points on two different occasions.

With a strong surrounding cast, including Cooper Flagg, Knueppel also showed versatility with his playmaking, throwing some gorgeous lobs. He would fit right in with Wembanyama and the crew, prying his way into heavy rotational minutes from the jump

F Liam McNeeley, UConn

Featured on CBS

A key cog of the defending champs' quest for repeat, Liam McNeeley, was in the spotlight at UConn. The 19-year-old freshman was inserted into a role he wasn't quite suited to play, thus dropping his status in mock drafts from where he once was before the year. That's not to say McNeeley won't be highly valued in this year's draft.

McNeeley will translate nicely to the NBA as a high-IQ forward with a developed jumper. His 31.7% from beyond the arc is not a great depiction of what he can provide for an NBA team. Granted, better spacing and a real playmaker to take the pressure off, McNeeley will feel more comfortable getting back to what he knows best.

Standing at 6'8", McNeeley can defend wings on the perimeter and has a release high enough to shoot over defenders to drain shots. These skills would be much appreciated for a Spurs squad looking to bolster their spacing and shooting.

G Egor Demin, BYU

Featured on Yahoo

Similar to McNeeley, Egor Demin has fallen from being a high lottery pick. He had a rough shooting year, but his appealing traits still remain apparent.

Demin is an amazing precision passer and can make plays out of nothing. The 19-year-old from Moscow averaged 5.5 assists for the BYU Cougars last season and gave his team the best he could during a run to the Sweet 16. In two out of the three games, Demin posted 7 or more assists and created a load of great looks for his squad.

As an elongated guard, Demin will be a matchup nightmare for opposing guards and has shown his wits by getting his hands into passing lanes. Averaging 1.2 steals per game, his ability to snatch the ball away adds to his fervent ability to create offense.

Desperately needing some offensive juice off the bench, Demin would slide into a bench role where he can be the primary creator for a unit lacking one. Through development, if his shot comes along, Demin has unlimited potential.

F Noa Essengue, France

Featured on NBA.com and Bleacher Report

France has certainly had its way in producing NBA talent, and they have got another one. Joining his fellow Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, Noa Essengue is a 6'10" athletic freak, and his calling card is on his upside.

Essengue has all of the traits to be a dominant forward in the NBA, but he is only 18 years old and will need development. In this past season with the Ratiopharm Ulm in the Euro Cup, he began to showcase a knack for scoring as his jump shot started to fall. While it wasn't always pretty, the potential is there.

While he suffered some blow-bys, Essenque's protracted wingspan helps him create turnovers and keep his opponent at arm's length. Again, the key word here is upside, which will all come down to how well he is developed. New Head Coach Mitch Johnson would have a pleasant time getting the most out of this diamond in the rough.

G Jase Richardson, Michigan State

Jase Richardson, the son of former 2001-02 All-Rookie Team member Jason Richardson, knows what it takes to be an NBA player. Richardson is an adaptable combo guard with the characteristics of an excellent shot creator.

Suiting up for the Elite 8, attending Michigan State, the freshman advertised a robust shooting stroke and the ability to perform when it matters most. In the Sweet 16, Richardson came up big, splashing four threes. While he showed off his three-point shooting prowess in the tournament, Richardson also has the tools to score from all three levels.

His father has instilled grittiness, intensity, and toughness on the defensive side of the ball, so there is no doubt that Richardson will be hungry the second he hits an NBA court. For the Spurs, Richardson will provide a prepared player who, with the help of the veterans, can polish his scoring and supply the team with necessary shooting.