San Antonio Spurs' Draft Pick Listed Among the Best

With the 36th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs selected Juan Nunez, from the Bundesliga. Nunez has since signed with Barcelona and will not be making his NBA debut this season, although that doesn't mean that the Spurs won't count on him to log minutes down the road.

The Spurs own his NBA rights, so if he decides to come stateside, the Spurs can buy out his contract with the Spanish club. Nunez is 20 years old and was heralded as one of the best passers in the 2024 Draft, but the rest of his game could use some tweaking, which is why he is staying in Europe for at least another season.

In 14 games with Ulm last season, Nunex averaged 10.4 points, 5.8 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. He shot a solid 36.1 percent from three, although his previous play shows that he still has a ways to go when it comes to scoring. He is a solid perimeter defender, but might not have the speed to keep up with some of the best guards in the NBA.

If Nunez can establish himself as a reliable shooter and passer, expect the Spurs to bring him over as soon as next summer. If his shot never comes along, then the Spurs can cut their losses and allow Barcelona to pay out his contract, saving San Antonio some money.

However, a recent ranking of the top young European players puts Nunez in elite company. Nunez has been compared to Hugo Gonzalez, Michael Ruzic, and Dame Sarr, among others. All three of those players are expected to be first-round picks, if not lottery picks, in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft.

Sarr, an incredibly athletic wing, will play next to Nunez this season. The pair could become one of the most exciting European duos to watch, and the Spurs could end up drafting Sarr next summer.

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While Nunez is not ready for the NBA quite yet, the Spurs could bring him over to the States once he has a more polished and complete game, as they did with a 25-year-old Manu Ginobili in 2002.