10. San Antonio Spurs - Noa Essengue, F, France
As the San Antonio Spurs continue to show signs of promise, this is a team that is likely going to get another opportunity to land a difference-making player via the 2025 NBA Draft. They may not finish with a top 3 selection again, but with a prospect like Noa Essengue in reach for the team with their projected No. 10 pick, this could be a fit that makes a ton of sense and one that could pay dividends for both sides fairly quickly. Heading into the 2025 NBA Draft, the Spurs will be looking for players who fit next to Wemby and there's reason to believe that Essengue would fit the mold.
Essengue is far from a finished prospect but even as an exceptionally raw player, he has a knack of finding ways to be impactful. In one of the NBA's best developmental systems, there's reason to believe that if any team is going to get the most out of Essengue, it can be Gregg Popovich and the San Antonio Spurs. San Antonio will be drafting Essengue for the player he could potentially be 2-3 years down the line.
What is the biggest issue for the San Antonio Spurs?
Compared to how the San Antonio Spurs started out of the gate last season, I'd say they should feel happy about where they currently are a month-plus through the year. Victor Wembanyama has bounced back after a slow start to the season and if a few things fall to their benefit over the next couple of months, this is a team that could be in a race for one of the final two spots in the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. We may be taking their progression a little too far but that has to be the developmental hope by the end of the year.
Adding another talented wing could go a long way in helping push this team forward. Even though Essengue is going to need time to develop, adding another Frenchman may not be the worst move for the Spurs as Wemby continues to come into his own as an NBA player. Getting the luxury of another lottery pick in what is projected to be a strong draft is only going to help Wemby's development as a pro. With the way the team is trending, this could very well be San Antonio's last finish in the lottery for a very long time.