The Spurs have made 12 lottery selections in the NBA Draft, including drafting Victor Wembanyama with the No. 1 pick in 2023.
The inaugural NBA Draft Lottery dates back to 1985. Since then, the San Antonio Spurs have made 12 selections in the lottery, including at least one in each of the past five seasons. That consecutive streak is expected to reach six in the 2025 NBA Draft, as the Spurs currently hold picks No. 2 and No. 14. Here’s a brief look at their tenures in central Texas.
Stephon Castle – 2024 (4th Overall)
The 2024-25 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year, Stephon Castle became the fourth Spur to win the award, joining three other players on this list. He averaged 14.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 81 games, leading all rookies in scoring, total steals and free-throws made. San Antonio is the first team to have back-to-back winners for ROY since the Timberwolves in 2014-15 to 2015-16 with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Rob Dillingham – 2024 (8th Overall)
Dillingham was acquired by Minnesota on draft night in 2024, with San Antonio netting a 2030 top-one protected pick swap and a 2031 unprotected first in the deal. The shifty guard out of Kentucky dealt with injuries in his rookie season with the Wolves, appearing in 52 games overall. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.0 assists in 10.5 minutes per contest in 49 regular-season outings.
Victor Wembanyama – 2023 (1st Overall)
The 21-year-old French phenom has already established himself as one of the best players in the NBA in just two years. Wemby led the league in blocks each of the past two seasons, and his historical rookie year saw him capture the 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and All-Defensive First Team honors. He also finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting after recording 21.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.2 SPG and 3.6 BPG. Wemby had his sophomore campaign cut short because of a shoulder injury, but he earned his first All-Star selection by averaging 24.3 points, 11.0 rebounds and 3.8 blocks in 46 games.
Jeremy Sochan – 2022 (9th Overall)
Sochan has spent his first three professional seasons in San Antonio, and his numbers have been consistently solid from year to year despite his role and position changing so frequently. The versatile forward has recorded career averages of 11.4 points, 6.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists in 184 games as a Spur, and was named to the 2022-23 All-Rookie team at age 19.
Joshua Primo – 2021 (12th Overall)
The Canadian guard-forward’s time in the NBA amounted to just 56 appearances across three seasons, with 54 of those coming with the Spurs. San Antonio cut ties with Primo in October 2022, and he would eventually sign with the Clippers a year later before being released again at the end of the 2024 season.
Devin Vassell – 2020 (11th Overall)
At the time of the 2020 NBA Draft, Vassell became the first Spurs’ lottery pick to be drafted since Tim Duncan in 1997, breaking a 22-year stretch without a top-14 selection. The FSU standout has played all five seasons with San Antonio, and he’s been an instant offense weapon off the bench by pouring in at least 16.3 ppg in each of the last three campaigns, including a career-best 19.5 points in 2023-24.
Tim Duncan – 1997 (1st Overall)
Duncan played his entire 19-year Hall of Fame career with the Spurs from 1997-98 to 2015-16. Duncan played a pivotal role in helping San Antonio win five NBA titles during his tenure, claiming the crown at least once in an astounding three consecutive decades. He was the 1998 Rookie of the Year, a two-time MVP, three-time Finals MVP, 15-time All-Star, 15-time All-NBA and All-Defensive Teams, and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. ‘Timmy’ is the Spurs’ all-time leader in several categories, including games played, points, rebounds and blocks, to name a few.
Sean Elliott – 1989 (3rd Overall)
Elliott spent 11 of his 12 years in the NBA with the Spurs, with his lone season outside of San Antonio coming with the Detroit Pistons in 1993-94. The forward out of Arizona made two All-Star teams in black and silver, was named to the All-Rookie squad in 1989-90, and was a part of the 1999 championship roster. He averaged 14.4 points in 669 contests as a Spur.
Willie Anderson – 1988 (10th Overall)
Anderson enjoyed nine seasons in the NBA before finishing the final two years of his career overseas. The 6-foot-7 guard-forward finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1988-89 when he averaged 18.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals across 81 games. He spent seven years with the Spurs, appearing in 451 contests before making short stints with the Raptors, Knicks and Heat.
David Robinson -1987 (1st Overall)
The 7-foot-1 Robinson was the first ever No. 1 overall pick in the Spurs’ franchise history. ‘The Admiral’ delayed his rookie season until 1989-90 while serving in the US Navy, only to be named the Rookie of the Year and an All-Star in his first year as a pro. He stayed in San Antonio for the duration of his 14-year Hall of Fame career, winning one MVP, two NBA titles and one DPOY, and was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021-22.
Johnny Dawkins – 1986 (10th Overall)
Dawkins played his first three seasons with the Spurs before suiting up for the Sixers and Pistons over his last six years in the league. The Washington, DC native appeared in 178 games for San Antonio and averaged 13.0 points, 5.6 assists and 1.2 steals between 1986-87 and 1988-89.
Alfredrick Hughes – 1985 (14th Overall)
The Loyola Chicago product played just one season in the NBA, with all 68 of his games coming in a Spurs uniform. Hughes averaged 5.2 points and 1.7 rebounds in 12.7 minutes a night for San Antonio in 1985-86, but he was out of the league the following year.
