Representing the 19th overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, the Spurs went to Europe to nab Croatian power forward Luka Samanic on Thursday night.
San Antonio stayed stateside for their second first-round pick, and the 29th overall selection of the draft, taking Kentucky's Keldon Johnson.
For their third pick of the night, and first in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft, San Antonio took Quinndary Weatherspoon, a 6-foot-4 guard out of Mississippi State.
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NBA draft at a glance
When: Thursday, 6 p.m.
Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Franchise with No. 1 selection: New Orleans Pelicans
Spurs picks: No. 19, No. 29 in first round; No. 49 in second.
SAN ANTONIO – It’s really anybody's guess what the Spurs will do in Thursday night's NBA draft, but they could surprise the league by making some bold moves.
One interesting scenario floated by Sam Amico of Amico Hoops has the Silver and Black trading their two first-round picks for a veteran player. Of course, they also could trade the picks to move up in the draft and select a promising young player.
Deep in the backcourt but lean up front, the Spurs are in the market for a forward who can rebound, shoot the three-pointer and help shore up the team's defense, which was spotty throughout the 2018-19 season.
San Antonio's depth and talent at the forward position took a precipitous dip after it traded Kawhi Leonard last July.
The Spurs own the No. 19 and No. 29 picks in the first round heading into the draft. They also have the No. 49 pick in the second round.
Given their need at the forward position, the Silver and Black probably would be open to packaging their two first-round picks with a player on their roster now for a veteran who fits what they're looking for.
It should be an intriguing evening for the Spurs and their legions of fans throughout the country. This year's draft marks only the second time in franchise history that San Antonio has gone into the night's proceedings with two first-round picks.
The first time it happened was in 1987, when the Spurs selected David Robinson with the No. 1 overall pick and Greg Anderson at No. 23.
In 2011, San Antonio obtained Leonard, who had been selected by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 15 pick, in a draft-night trade. The Spurs also took Cory Joseph with the 29th pick in the first round of the draft that year.
Of course, the Spurs could stand pat and use both of their first-round picks to draft some young talent. But it's doubtful that either of those players would play much as rookies.
While no longer an elite team, the Silver and Black still have a championship pedigree and believe they can be contenders. The return of point guard Dejounte Murray, who missed the entire 2018-19 season with a knee injury, will make the Spurs a better team the moment he steps on the floor.
Besides sparking the Silver and Black offense with his speed and quickness, Murray was one of the team's best perimeter defenders.
The Spurs have used the draft to bolster their backcourt in each of the past three years, picking Murray (2016), Derrick White (2017) and Lonnie Walker IV with their first-round picks. White stepped into the starting spot at point guard and played well on both ends of the court.
Even after losing Murray, Leonard, Danny Green, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker and adding eight new players to their roster, the Silver and Black made the playoffs for the 22nd consecutive year. Green went to Toronto with Leonard in the trade that sent DeMar DeRozan to San Antonio, Ginobili retired and Parker signed with Charlotte as a free agent.
San Antonio finished 48-34 and advanced to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs took No. 2 seed Denver to seven games before being eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season.
"I can't wait for training camp because I'll know who's on my team and who's not on my team," Murray said Wednesday. 'I'm just excited to get to work. I want a championship bad and I just want the players that want it as bad as me."
