The 2025 NBA Draft is coming. On June 25th, thirty NBA teams will give 60 players an opportunity to stake their claim on basketball’s biggest stage.

Each day in June, we will look back at the picks the Spurs made over the last 24 years. There have been some legendary picks as well as some names that fell by the wayside.

Today, let’s look at the last twelve years of the #2 and #14 draft picks, the two first round picks currently on the Spurs schedule.

#2

What should the Spurs look for in the second pick. By and large, the player should be ready-to-go on day one. While they shouldn’t expect a cornerstone player (and they don’t since Victor Wembanyama has that role), a solid starter or bench leader should evolve in short amount of time. The key factor is avoiding injury. Look at the recent past.

These second picks are nothing to scoff at. All have become bonafide stars in their time. As it goes with basketball, injuries are the greatest determining factor in longevity and success.

Chet Homlgren spent his rookie season out, but came in second in 2024 for Rookie of the Year voting behind Victor Wembanyama. Holmgren is currently in the Western Conference Finals duking it out with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Like Holmgren, Jalen Green has ignited the young core of the Houston Rockets. He’s averaging 20+ per game for his short career and elevates the team. The Rockets have a combination of youth and experience that got them into the playoffs for the first time since the pandemic bubble.

What Ja Morant does on the count makes him one of the most mesmerizing players in the game. If he can keep his off court personae in check, he’s a legend in the making.

The Lakers had three solid back-to-back #2 picks from 2015-2017, none whom still play on the team. They blew it up for a quick fix with LeBron James, a bolt of lightning that has failed to strike twice.

Lonzo Ball has suffered multiple health setbacks from his original promise and D’Angelo Russell has evolved into more a solid role player than a go-to. Brandon Ingram has also suffered multiple injuries, but averages 23 points per game for all of his time in New Orleans, over five seasons and counting.

#14

From this list, it becomes apparent that drafting here can be hit or miss, and what you’re really looking for is a player who can develop into a reliable starter or bench x-factor.

While the names that appear on the #14 list may not be immediately recognizable to the passive basketball watcher, it’s worth noting that Aaron Nesmith is an x-factor for the Indiana Pacers right now, while they are pushing toward an opportunity to make the NBA Finals for the first time.

In the same vein Michael Porter, Jr. is a reliable starter for the Denver Nuggets behind a generational talent and two stars. He played a role in their 2023 NBA title run.

And has anyone notice Bam Adebayo as a former fourteenth pick? He’s more than an x-factor or a solid starter — he’s an integral part of the Miami Heat. He and Tyler Herro are the cornerstone of the Heat’s future. Together, they’ve made two title runs that came up short in the Finals.

Honorable mention to Moses Moody who showed solid bench potential for Golden State in the playoffs this year.

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