The Spurs have one last hope after the Hawks ruin their plans

With the NBA season in the final week, the order in the upcoming NBA Draft is that much closer to being finalized ahead of the lottery. The San Antonio Spurs have all but locked up the 8th worst record in the NBA, which will give them a 26% chance of having a top-four pick and a 34.5% chance of selecting eighth in the 2025 NBA Draft.

However, almost as important is where the Atlanta Hawks end up in the standings. The fate of the Hawks is intertwined with the Spurs, who own their pick in each of the next three drafts

Atlanta has been stubbornly resilient this season even after it appeared that they were taking a step back when they traded Dejounte Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans. Unfortunately for the Spurs, they clearly won that trade, getting breakout star Dyson Daniels, who has been a perfect complement to Hawks star Trae Young.

However, their spot in the NBA playoffs is still very much up in the air. The Hawks are likely to finish with the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference entering the play-in tournament. That will give the Spurs one last chance to see the Hawks pick improve.

The Spurs need the Hawks to lose their play-in games

If the Hawks beat the Orlando Magic in the first game of the Play-In Tournament, they would solidify themselves as the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs. That could mean that the Spurs would pick 15th in the draft.

However, if they lose to the Magic, then they would then face the winner of a playoff between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls. If the Heat or Bulls were to beat the Hawks, then they would fall out of the playoffs altogether, and San Antonio would likely end up with the 12th pick.

Having potentially the eighth and 12th picks would sure beat having the eighth and 15th picks. After all, if two players the Spurs really like are still on the draft board when it's their turn to pick, then they stand a much better chance of getting both prospects. Not only that, but San Antonio would have a combined 34.5% chance of one of those picks jumping into the top four of the draft.

That will depend entirely on the Hawks. If they lose to the Magic and Heat or the Bulls in the play-in tournament, then that would inadvertently help the Spurs. That would be the best-case scenario for the Spurs, but given how stubborn the Hawks have been this season, it's far from a guarantee that it will play out that way.