The San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder were thinking big in the recent NBA draft. The Spurs, who fell to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals, drafted 6-9 Jayden Quaintance from Kentucky and acquired the rights to Tarris Reed Jr., a rugged big man who powered UConn to the national title game.
Spurs and Thunder Address Big-Man Issues
The Thunder had trouble with Victor Wembanyama in the Western Conference finals and took steps to address that issue by drafting 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara from Michigan with the No. 12 pick. Mara, the Big Ten defensive player of the year from Spain, could provide the physical presence the Thunder need.
The Spurs and Thunder will face each other on the court, and their draft picks will be a key factor in their matchups. Darius Acuff Jr. and Mikel Brown Jr. might be a matchup to watch among small guards. Acuff was drafted by the Sacramento Kings, while Brown was drafted by the Brooklyn Nets.
One-and-Dones Regain Prominence
The one-and-done era is far from over, as the first eight picks in the draft were college freshmen. This trend is expected to continue, with many top players choosing to play only one year in college before entering the NBA draft.
The Knicks, who won the NBA championship, were cautious in the draft, trading back from their original No. 24 spot and eventually out of the first round entirely. They came into the draft with the No. 31 pick and traded back from there as well, eventually leaving the draft with the Nos. 39 and 47 picks.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
