Options for the Spurs with the No. 8 Pick

Three options for the San Antonio Spurs with the eighth overall pick in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft.

Tennessee guard Dalton Knecht (3) reacts to 72-66 loss to Purdue at the NCAA tournament Midwest Regional Elite 8 round at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Sunday, March 31, 2024. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

The San Antonio Spurs were big winners at the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery, not only coming away with a top-four pick, but nabbing No. 8 from the Raptors via essential fifty-fifty odds.

Now, they’ll get a consolation prize next to one of the top prospects in the draft, should they choose to hang onto the pick. Here are a few options for the Spurs with their second first round selection:

Rob Dilllingham, Kentucky

One of the most obvious pairings in that range will be San Antonio and Dillingham, who wowed with spark-plug bench scoring for Kentucky as a one-and-done.

If Dillingham makes it to No. 8 — a likely chance given the lack of need for undersized combo guards — his fit with the Spurs is a strong one. He’s a supernova offensively, be it on or off-ball, and he can create for others at a remarkable rate with burst, shiftiness and acceleration.

Best of all, Dillingham’s biggest weakness in defense would be well covered by soon-to-be superstar Victor Wembanyama.

Dalton Knecht, Tennessee

At first glance, a 23-year-old shooting guard might seem like a funky pick for the Spurs, who are set to go full youth movement. But Knecht’s fit next to Wembanyama is a strong one.

Scoring 21.7 points per game for the Vols last season, Knecht was most simply one of college basketball’s top offensive options. And he did it mostly off-ball: spotting up, coming off screens and gravitating towards space.

Alongside Wembanyama, Knecht could do the very same, getting his off-ball while using his creation and handle sparingly. The same defensive rules as Dillingham apply here, too.

Ron Holland II, G League Ignite

If the Spurs are wanting to go a drastically different direction, Holland — whose stock may be hovering around this pick — may be the selection.

At 6-foot-7-ish, Holland was widely regarded as one of the top options coming into the season, but struggled to put everything together with a now-diffused Ignite squad.

Still, his defensive motor, athleticism and strong transition game give him baseline skills that would work next to Wembanyama. And his things like passing, ball-handling and shooting coming around might send the team into the stratosphere.

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