The San Antonio Spurs could potentially explore trading for the No. 1 pick in exchange for the 4th and 8th overall picks, according to ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony.
And while this is just one of many possible scenarios, Givony went on to say he certainly expects the Spurs to be aggressive on draft night.
“Everything I hear is that they want to be competitive next year, they want to be in the playoffs,” Givony said on The Ringer’s NBA Draft Show.
“They’re not looking to make this a 2-3 year process, where they’re in the lottery again next year. For right now, they want to be competitive next year and that’s why I think they’re going to be aggressive with those picks.”
If the Spurs did make a move for the number one pick, it would likely result in them using the top pick to select a French player two years in a row.
Givony’s ESPN mock draft currently projects Zaccharie Risacher to be selected first overall, with fellow French prospect Alex Sarr projected to be selected with the No. 2 pick.
Risacher is a small forward playing for JL Bourg in France’s top-tier league.
Sarr, on the other hand, is a power forward/centre who played for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL.
Sarr has spent a lot of time in the number-one spot on various mock drafts, but Risacher has since overtaken him in ESPN’s projections.
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