Spurs have Hawks to thank if their epic draft lottery dreams come true

As the San Antonio Spurs look to bounce back from their devastating NBA Cup Finals loss, they have one major silver lining staring them in the face. Despite initially getting off to a strong start, the Atlanta Hawks have begun to backslide.

They were previously third in the Eastern Conference a month ago but have finally begun to slip without star Trae Young, with Atlanta currently in ninth place. He will likely be back around Christmas time, but the Hawks have been racking up losses of late that they can't get back as they look to make the playoffs this season.

San Antonio fans are already well aware that the Spurs have swap rights with the Hawks and next year's draft and are also owed an unprotected 2027 first by Atlanta. If ATL can't make the playoffs again this season, then the Spurs could be looking at swapping their selection for a lottery pick.

The Dejounte Murray trade is a gift that keeps giving to the Spurs

San Antonio currently has the fourth-best record in the NBA, and they would be able to jump 11 spots in the 2026 NBA Draft thanks to the Hawks. Imagine the Spurs adding another lottery pick to their young core thanks to Atlanta, whose pick last year was used to draft Carter Bryant.

That should be music to fans' ears considering that the 2026 draft is considered to be far better than the 2025 and especially the 2024 drafts. Better still, San Antonio can soon add to the Hawks' misery when they play on December 19th.

San Antonio should take advantage of the opportunity to beat the Hawks for a second time this season. Every ATL loss helps, and they would be contributing to what could end up being another lottery selection thanks to Atlanta.

The Spurs could have the Hawks to thank for a possible dynasty

If the Hawks do end up finishing in the lottery yet again, it would solidify the Dejounte Murray trade as being one of the most impactful in franchise history. They would have gotten two lottery picks and yet another unprotected selection.

Not only that, but it allowed the Spurs to bottom out and draft Victor Wembanyama, which could continue to pay dividends for San Antonio for the next decade. It was a controversial move at the time but has aged extremely well for the Silver and Black thus far.

Especially with the Hawks' recent backslide, which could result in the Spurs getting another great asset from that trade.