Spurs' regret in massive draft mistakes grows after latest development

Although the San Antonio Spurs are currently rolling, off to their best start in years, they may be kicking themselves over several recent mistakes. Those mistakes stem from the 2022 NBA Draft, where they had three first-round picks.

So far, they have already struck out on two of those selections, with a third already likely nearing the end of his run. They selected Jeremy Sochan ninth, Malaki Branham 20th, and Blake Wesley 25th. However, Branham and Wesley failed to develop fast enough to earn a spot in the rotation.

They were subsequently traded for veteran Kelly Olynyk over the summer. Sochan is currently the last man standing from that draft class, and things aren't looking too promising for the fourth-year big man.

The Spurs struck out in a big way in the 2022 NBA Draft

Although things initially appeared promising for Sochan, he has failed to develop enough to earn a spot in the rotation this season. Now, the writing is on the wall for him, with Sochan seeming likely to be traded.

Usually drafting can be a 50-50 proposition, even for the best drafting teams, but going 0-3 in a single draft must sting. Especially after they drafted Joshua Primo the year before with the 12th pick only to cut him early in his second season.

That means San Antonio would have very little to show for their 2021 and 2022 drafts. To their credit, San Antonio has had more draft successes than whiffs, with several members of the rotation having been selected by the Spurs.

Keldon Johnson was drafted 29th in 2019 and is a key rotation player, while Devin Vassell was taken 11th in 2020 and has settled in as an above-average starter. There's also the big draft home runs: Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper.

The Spurs are overcoming their draft mistakes in a big way

They also used one of the assets from trading the 8th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft to acquire De'Aaron Fox. That has helped them to round out their core, with this team currently second in the Western Conference.

That goes to show how much trial and error goes into team building. Going 0-4 in terms of first-round picks between 2021 and 2022, only to bounce back and have one of the best records in the NBA, shows how quickly things can change.

It's also a testament to GM Brian Wright, who continued to make smart moves to put the team in this position. He traded Dejoune Murray when it seemed like an awful decision at the time. That allowed San Antonio to bottom out and draft Wembanyama, and they were fortunate to stay bad long enough to end up with Castle and Harper.

Now, they are sitting pretty with that young core plus Fox, possibly giving them four playoff runs with those four players. Considering that there have been seven different champions in the last seven seasons, Spurs fans have to like their odds of breaking through and winning a title.

That's even after a disastrous 2022 NBA Draft. Fortunately, the Spurs have bounced back in a big way.