WOJ: Spurs draft Rob Dillingham 8th, then trade him to the TWolves for an unprotected 2031 first

[_jin]

I dont really like this for Spurs but it's most likely just the first move in a series of moves, I'll wait and see what they do next to judge that trade for what it is.

[dkb964]

Makes sense to me

TWolves were limited on options to improve and liked Dillingham

Spurs didn’t like anyone in this weak draft and gamble on a future unprotected for later

Would’ve been more surprising in any other draft

It is the fact that the pick is in 2031! Could Wemby bolt by then?

[Onlytimewilltel]

I assume it was some handshake agreement that also involved Ant man that if he evet get traded, the Spurs will be at the top of the list. The odds are good since he will likely grow frustrated with his twin towers and demand a trade from cold Minny to the Alamo.

Didn’t you promise to everyone that if Clingan is not drafted in top 5 you would stop posting???

First off, I don't make promises on here ever. Secondly, I would stop posting during the live draft if he was not taken, which I honored while everyone else here was posting away until the last pick for day 1. I didn't even make one comment when my Sixers was on the clock which was hard for me.

Now I will be tuning in until Bronny is taken, hopefully by the Lakers. Why upset Lebron?

[DwayneSchintzus]

i don't think there has ever been a superstar whose front office seeded their career with so many future first round picks.

imagine lebron, luka, giannis or jokic consistently had EXTRA unprotected picks in their first 7 years in the league. Hell, even Tim.

Either they have laid the groundwork to keep having high picks into the future or they are acquiring an asset and cap room to be utilized in a trade. I like it, we don't need a 164 lb point guard getting hunted and destroyed.

I feel bad for Rob being traded like that, he was happy to be with us. I thought the Spurs handled that poorly.

[HMFFL]

A team that won 22 games last year punts on a top-8 pick when players like Cody Williams, Matas Buzelis, Nikola Topic and Devin Carter are sitting there? That doesn't make sense.

Spurs are just smarter than everyone else. They probably see no stars and just mediocre players this draft so the move makes sense.


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Smarter than everyone else but they haven't had a winning record since the 2018-19 season.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

[nikster]

A team that won 22 games last year punts on a top-8 pick when players like Cody Williams, Matas Buzelis, Nikola Topic and Devin Carter are sitting there? That doesn't make sense.

Spurs are just smarter than everyone else. They probably see no stars and just mediocre players this draft so the move makes sense.


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Smarter than everyone else but they haven't had a winning record since the 2018-19 season.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

Other than being lucky getting #1 pick when a generational talent like Wemby is available they have been very unimpressive

[tcheco]

Spurs are just smarter than everyone else. They probably see no stars and just mediocre players this draft so the move makes sense.


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Smarter than everyone else but they haven't had a winning record since the 2018-19 season.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

Other than being lucky getting #1 pick when a generational talent like Wemby is available they have been very unimpressive

Have they? In the draft I mean

Botched Primo pick, that one was terrible, but other than that:

2016:
Dejounte Murray picked 29 - great pick

2017:
Derrick White picked 29 - great pick

2018:
Loonie Walker picked 18 - average pick for the position

2019:
Samanic picked 19 - below average pick for the position
Keldon picked 29 - good pick

2020:
Vassel picked 11 - good pick for the position
Tre Jones picked 41 - good pick for the position

2021:
Primo picked 12 - bust

2022:
Sochan picked 9 - good pick
Branham picked 20 - average for the position
Wesley picked 25 - average for the position

2023:
Wemby picked 1 - no merits here.

So in the last 9 years(counting this year), picked in the lottery 5 times, with only 1 miss, while getting a good player in 3 of the 4 years picking outside the lottery.

Hard to find a team that that has done better with the picks they got honestly, unimpressive is a stretch

[Harry Garris]

Puzzling decision by SAS. They are supposed to be building around Wemby, not Deuce Tatum

What if they just didn’t love any of the prospects left in the draft?

But they see someone they like in the 2031 draft?

I think the reason why they made this trade is so that in 2030 and 2031 during the years where Wemby will be entering his prime, the Spurs will theoretically be really good, and they'll be capped out and unable to add anyone via trade with the second apron rules or in free agency, they will still be able to supplement the roster with these two TWolves picks. Making the bet that the TWolves will have fallen out of contention at that point and these will be high value draft picks.

IF the Spurs are able to turn into a contender without the help of the 8th selection in the draft this year, and

IF the Wolves fall off, or become a mediocre team 6 years from now

I think it's a really smart move. Of course those are two big ifs so it's not without risk, but the logic behind it is sound.

[Harry Garris]

Makes sense to me

TWolves were limited on options to improve and liked Dillingham

Spurs didn’t like anyone in this weak draft and gamble on a future unprotected for later

Would’ve been more surprising in any other draft

It is the fact that the pick is in 2031! Could Wemby bolt by then?

So far the whole wanting to bolt from a team the second something goes even slightly wrong thing has only been seen from American players. I don't think there's as much of a risk of a European dude doing that.

[Bornstellar]

Spurs now have all of their own picks, 2025/2027 unprotected picks from ATL, 2025 top 10 protected from CHI (moves to top 8 the next two years if it doesn't convey), lotto protected CHA 2025 1st (becomes 2 seconds, which seems likely, and given they suck, could hold decent value), unprotected 2026 swap from ATL, top-1 protected swap with BOS in 2028, unprotected swap with DAL in 2030, top-1 protected swap with MIN in 2030, and MIN's unprotected 2031 pick, not to mention a boatload of 2nd rounders

Not a bad chest of assets to have. Spurs certainly have the picks to put together a godfather package for a star player should one become available

[Sixers in 4]

Awful trade. One the 2031 pick is likely going to be worse off and when I say likely none of us know how good the worlves will be but but the 8th overall pick is already in the top 25 percentile in picks.

Two, they have to wait seven years for the pick to actualize that is wasted time because Rob or whomever they would have taken will already have had their career mapped out by this point.

For me this is a god awful trade even if in some way it works out because it is just a bad bet at this point.

[bon]

Great get for the Wolves. Really needed the offense and they have more than enough length to cover for him defensively. Rob and Ant should be a dynamic backcourt for years to come

[SK21209]

A team that won 22 games last year punts on a top-8 pick when players like Cody Williams, Matas Buzelis, Nikola Topic and Devin Carter are sitting there? That doesn't make sense.

Spurs are just smarter than everyone else. They probably see no stars and just mediocre players this draft so the move makes sense.


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Smarter than everyone else but they haven't had a winning record since the 2018-19 season.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

They had one losing season from 1990 to 2019, and then had a few down years when their next superstar decided to force his way out. I think we can cut them some slack lol.

[Worm Guts]

Definitely an interesting trade in that there's no way to know how good the draft will be in 2031 or how good the Wolves will be in 2031. Just a complete unknown of an asset.

[nikster]

Smarter than everyone else but they haven't had a winning record since the 2018-19 season.

Sent from my SM-S928U1 using RealGM mobile app

Other than being lucky getting #1 pick when a generational talent like Wemby is available they have been very unimpressive

Have they? In the draft I mean

Botched Primo pick, that one was terrible, but other than that:

2016:
Dejounte Murray picked 29 - great pick

2017:
Derrick White picked 29 - great pick

2018:
Loonie Walker picked 18 - average pick for the position

2019:
Samanic picked 19 - below average pick for the position
Keldon picked 29 - good pick

2020:
Vassel picked 11 - good pick for the position
Tre Jones picked 41 - good pick for the position

2021:
Primo picked 12 - bust

2022:
Sochan picked 9 - good pick
Branham picked 20 - average for the position
Wesley picked 25 - average for the position

2023:
Wemby picked 1 - no merits here.

So in the last 9 years(counting this year), picked in the lottery 5 times, with only 1 miss, while getting a good player in 3 of the 4 years picking outside the lottery.

Hard to find a team that that has done better with the picks they got honestly, unimpressive is a stretch

They have solid picks so they haven't been terrible. But again some of those picks even if the players turned out didn't amount to anything for the team. Lonnie Walker walked as a free agent. Derrick White was traded for Blake Wesley and Bostons late first in 2028. Last seven years or so they have 2 first round exits followed by 3 33 win seasons then 2 22 win seasons. They should have pivoted to a tank earlier.


let's say they get #2 and end up with Miller last year. Is their current collection of young talent that they have left over that great?

I still think they've been a good franchise, just don't think they've been that impressive

[chilluminati]

They're either positioning for another move, or they literally think this draft is so bad that they can just gamble a top 10 pick. Either way it probably works out for both teams. I don't think SAS is making Detroit level decision making yet.

[hippesthippo]

It's a common trade you see in a dynasty fantasy basketball or football league. Wemby is 20 years old. Let's not rush things

That's your defense? "Yo guys, this is totally normal in pretend sports GMing, so why wouldn't this be cool for the real thing?" Uh... any number of reasons? If you're a fantasy GM you know you will keep your team as long as you want it. That's not true for GM jobs. There's a fanastic chance that the guy who made the trade today won't be in charge of the Spurs by 2031. Since fantasy is just make believe, the players on your team have no idea you're giving up on the next few seasons so they don't care. In real life, Wemby knows the Spurs aren't helping him right away and will care. In fantasy you don't have to sell tickets or answer to fans. In real life you do.

This is the argument that I really don't understand.

If I'm a San Antonio Spurs fan, why would I be upset that my GM put the TEAM before his own personal job security and made the smart move?

[hippesthippo]

Makes sense to me

TWolves were limited on options to improve and liked Dillingham

Spurs didn’t like anyone in this weak draft and gamble on a future unprotected for later

Would’ve been more surprising in any other draft

It is the fact that the pick is in 2031! Could Wemby bolt by then?

No.

[nikster]

What if they just didn’t love any of the prospects left in the draft?

But they see someone they like in the 2031 draft?

I think the reason why they made this trade is so that in 2030 and 2031 during the years where Wemby will be entering his prime, the Spurs will theoretically be really good, and they'll be capped out and unable to add anyone via trade with the second apron rules or in free agency, they will still be able to supplement the roster with these two TWolves picks. Making the bet that the TWolves will have fallen out of contention at that point and these will be high value draft picks.

IF the Spurs are able to turn into a contender without the help of the 8th selection in the draft this year, and

IF the Wolves fall off, or become a mediocre team 6 years from now

I think it's a really smart move. Of course those are two big ifs so it's not without risk, but the logic behind it is sound.

I think it's also a more flexible trade asset to use for a potential trade for a star or supporting player

[DoctorX]

Other than being lucky getting #1 pick when a generational talent like Wemby is available they have been very unimpressive

Have they? In the draft I mean

Botched Primo pick, that one was terrible, but other than that:

2016:
Dejounte Murray picked 29 - great pick

2017:
Derrick White picked 29 - great pick

2018:
Loonie Walker picked 18 - average pick for the position

2019:
Samanic picked 19 - below average pick for the position
Keldon picked 29 - good pick

2020:
Vassel picked 11 - good pick for the position
Tre Jones picked 41 - good pick for the position

2021:
Primo picked 12 - bust

2022:
Sochan picked 9 - good pick
Branham picked 20 - average for the position
Wesley picked 25 - average for the position

2023:
Wemby picked 1 - no merits here.

So in the last 9 years(counting this year), picked in the lottery 5 times, with only 1 miss, while getting a good player in 3 of the 4 years picking outside the lottery.

Hard to find a team that that has done better with the picks they got honestly, unimpressive is a stretch

They have solid picks so they haven't been terrible. But again some of those picks even if the players turned out didn't amount to anything for the team. Lonnie Walker walked as a free agent. Derrick White was traded for Blake Wesley and Bostons late first in 2028. Last seven years or so they have 2 first round exits followed by 3 33 win seasons then 2 22 win seasons. They should have pivoted to a tank earlier.


let's say they get #2 and end up with Miller last year. Is their current collection of young talent that they have left over that great?

I still think they've been a good franchise, just don't think they've been that impressive

I agree they should have started to tank earlier. I wanted them to do it the moment Kawhi wanted out because I felt there was no way they could build a winning a team with the current roster minus Kawhi. Pop's ego wouldn't allow it so he selfishly kept LMA and Derozan for too long instead of trading them simply to pad his win total so he could get the record for most wins of all time. Obviously, the only thing good that came out of the delayed tanking was getting a generational talent in Victor.