Spurs' final hope for draft favor from Atlanta is a long shot but not impossible

The Eastern Conference is as tight as ever right now, and if you are a Spurs fan, you should be paying attention. The Atlanta Hawks currently sit in the 6th seed with 43 wins but are only a few games ahead of the four play-in teams. To secure San Antonio a lottery pick, Atlanta must miss the playoffs, and if their upcoming schedule is any indicator, this dream may come true.

Each of the current play-in teams is hungry to punch their ticket into the top six and will do everything in their power to jump the Hawks. Unfortunately for Atlanta, things won't be easy down the stretch.

The Atlanta Hawks' remaining schedule is daunting

The Hawks deserve credit for their outstanding play as of late, winning 13 of 15 games in March, but much of this momentum has been built on playing bad and injured teams. The NBA is full of tankers right now, and Atlanta has certainly taken advantage. Their recent run of success has been a terrible development for San Antonio.

However, after reshaping the narrative on their season, the Hawks will be tested right before the playoffs. During this period, the Hawks will face the Cavaliers twice and the Knicks, Magic, and Heat once each. Their only free game will come against Brooklyn on April 3.

If the Hawks want to be seen as legit, this stretch should be an opportunity to show that. Yet, if Atlanta proves to be nothing but a phony, they will risk supplying San Antonio with the last piece they need to build a dynasty.

A Spurs lottery pick would go a long way towards building a dynasty

Regardless of what happens, the Spurs hold the rights to Atlanta's first-round pick. But, as gluttony reigns, everyone in San Antonio would love yet another lottery pick.

General manager Brian Wright and his associates have done a superb job drafting in recent years. Look no further than the slam dunk of a draft that was 2025. The front office has built this team from the ground up and has hit on nearly every pick in recent years.

Based on their recent success, I have no reason to doubt they wouldn't knock it out of the park again if given another lottery pick. This is especially likely given the immense talent in this year's class.

So, of course, the Spurs would love to have even just a fraction of a chance at landing a top-four pick. Could you imagine how devastating it would be if San Antonio nabbed another high-end talent at the top of the draft? I can, and if it happens, it's full steam ahead for this team.

As the NBA season whittles down, keep your eyes on the Hawks and hope that they fumble at the goal line.