The San Antonio Spurs just lost the NBA Finals. They’re not planning to wallow.
According to league insiders, the franchise is already working the phones ahead of the 2026 NBA Draft, looking to turn a stockpile of late-round picks into a higher selection. The message is clear: the rebuild isn’t over — it’s accelerating.
Three Seconds Might Become One Compelling Offer
Reports indicate the Spurs are exploring a trade package that would send their three second-round selections — picks 35, 42, and 44 — to move into the late first or early second round. The specific targets appear to be picks 31 or 32, depending on who’s still on the board.
The team has not confirmed these talks, but multiple sources have described the front office as motivated to consolidate assets rather than bring three rookies into an already crowded young roster. After a Finals run that exceeded most preseason expectations, San Antonio needs contributors — not projects.
The Prospects in Play
If the Spurs pull off the trade, they’re expected to zero in on a handful of college forwards who could slot into the rotation immediately. ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reports that Zuby Ejiofor, Joshua Jefferson, and Alex Karaban are the names generating buzz inside the organization.
Ejiofor emerged as one of the most punishing frontcourt players in college basketball this season. Jefferson offers versatility and a polished all-around game. Karaban, meanwhile, brings reliable floor-spacing and the kind of basketball IQ that typically translates well alongside a superstar like Victor Wembanyama.
All three fit a profile the Spurs have favored in recent drafts: positionally flexible, high-motor, and ready to contribute without needing a heavy usage diet.
Why Jump Now Instead of Waiting?
San Antonio’s unexpected run to the Finals — where they fell to the New York Knicks in five games — shifted the franchise’s timeline. The championship window isn’t theoretical anymore. Wembanyama proved he can carry a team through four playoff rounds.
But the Finals also exposed roster holes. The Spurs need another reliable ballhandler, someone who can create offense when Wembanyama is doubled, and more shooting around the margins. A single second-round pick might not deliver that. But trading three shots at the board for one higher-percentage swing? That’s how contenders think.
Other teams will try to extract maximum value from the Spurs’ urgency. But San Antonio has draft capital to spend and a generational talent entering his prime. The approach makes sense: be aggressive now, worry about depth later.
Whether the deal happens or not, the Spurs have signaled they’re done waiting. The Finals loss stung. The response might sting the rest of the league even more.
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