Spurs’ Draft Night Decisions

Tiago Splitter On May 6, news came that the Spurs’ 2007 first round draft pick, Taigo Splitter had reached an agreement to sign for four years with his current Spanish team Tau Cerámica. San Antonio was counting that the 6’10 Brazilian would be part of the team’s efforts to rejuvenate. How will the Spurs approach this year’s draft, especially with their 26th first round pick?

As the draft date nears, there are several unknowns regarding the Spurs in the 2008 draft. The team would like to improve by getting younger either through the free agent market or the draft. San Antonio has had both good and bad experiences drafting foreign players. Their success is most noted with Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili but the drafting of Luis Scola and Tiago Splitter has left a bitter taste.

Finding talented foreign players and transferring them to the NBA has become more difficult, with no guarantees that they will play in the states. Players stationed in Europe are now willing to extend their careers overseas rather than coming to America.

Why would a player decide to remain in Europe instead of playing in the NBA? Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has identified several reasons that would make NBA teams cautious of drafting, in the first round, players from European leagues.

The most obvious is financial security. Some European teams are now able to offer hefty contracts, more than what an NBA player would receive in his first years. This has now become a bigger issue considering the value of the U.S. dollar to the euro. Foreigners who may be stars overseas may not have that same success in the NBA and may not be offered the desired contract.

Apart from this, the agent receives a much larger percentage from his player’s contract if he stays in Europe, than if he decided to play in the states. Moreover, European teams are not as willing to give up players who they would consider vital to their teams success and it maybe that the prestige of playing in the NBA has lost some luster around the world.

Will this deter the Spurs from drafting a foreign player in the first round? During the last ten years, the Spurs have selected from college twice, Felipe Lopez in 1998 and John Salmons in 2002, both immediately traded for point guards Antonio Daniels and Speedy Claxton. During that ten year span, San Antonio has, for the most part, traded the pick or chosen a foreign player. The last time the Spurs have chosen a college player in the first round and kept him for a considerable amount of time was Tim Duncan in 1997.

What options do the Spurs have with their first round pick?

They can choose a college player who the Spurs believe may contribute during his first years and who they can develop over time. This has not occurred in the last ten years. There is also the risk that a late round pick may not develop as expected. For example, Marcus Williams, who was chosen at No. 33 and later waived by the Spurs, could have easily been drafted in the first round.
San Antonio can choose a college player and then trade him for another more experienced player who will contribute immediately. As cited, Antonio Daniels and Speedy Claxton were acquired in trades involving the Spurs’ first round picks.
The Spurs can draft a young foreign player who has potential but is virtually unknown or overlooked. Someone who they can sign immediately or develop in one or two years. Such has been the case with Parker, Udrih, and Mahinmi.
They can also draft a foreigner who is well known and is a regular contributor and take the risk of not being able to sign him. Scola and Splitter have been the noted cases for the Spurs.

Each of these options has risks and rewards. Whether the Spurs decide to draft a foreigner or a college player or to use the pick in a trade will be known on draft night. Until then, we will have to wait to find out.