A Tale of Two Cities.

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San Antone

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San Antone

*San Antoine

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NBA.com mocks Kentucky's Cason Wallace to Los Angeles with No. 18 Pick
With the eighteenth pick in the NBA Draft, NBA.com is projecting the Los Angeles Lakers to select Kentucky guard Cason Wallace.

Wallace, 19, is switchable defensively through three positions and has quick hands, as the steal numbers display. His ability to stay low in a stance, remain in front of his assignment and continually move his feet properly make him one of the better defenders in the draft, especially at his age.

Wallace has that lead guard mentality to initiate the offense, get everyone involved and knock down open shots from deep on kick-outs if needed on a broken play. With D'Angelo Russell and Dennis Schroder not under contract, it would behoove the Lakers to get an insurance policy for that combo guard position in the draft.

The Lakers also need shooters and Wallace is connecting on 42 percent from three and around 47 percent from the field overall. His shot mechanics are smooth, but he could benefit from a slightly higher release point. He can be dangerous in transition due to his ability to make proper reads and take the ball to the basket himself.

DraftExpress has the Lakers selecting Iowa's Kris Murray, the six-foot-eight forward who has all the makings of a solid 3-and-D player at the next level which the Lakers also need.

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No drama needed as Spurs select Wembanyama with the top pick
Victor Wembanyama woke up this morning with the expectation but not guarantee that he'd end the night as a member of the San Antonio Spurs. By the time the seven-foot-four Frenchman finished having breakfast, San Antonio had made it known to the necessary parties that he was going to be their first pick.

Wembanyama showed up to the draft in a black and silver suit, putting all rumors that the Spurs could potentially be moving the pick to rest.

"It was just a lot of excitement," said Wembanyama at the draft after being selected with the top pick by San Antonio, "I can't wait to get to San Antonio and get to work, it's an honor and something you have to continue to work hard for, it's a blessing."

Considered a generational prospect, Wembanyama is a unique talent but does have a lot of work ahead of him to fulfill that potential. He's thin and similarly built centers in the past have had injury issues with such a frame, even as recent as last season with Chet Holmgren missing his rookie year with an injury. Dating back to 2020, there’s been at least five injuries he’s suffered that have kept Wembanyama out for an extended period. In fact, his season was cut short last year due to injuries.

2023 NBA Draft Selections
1. San Antonio ‣ C Victor Wembanyama, France
2. Houston ‣ G Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite
3. Charlotte ‣ F Cameron Whitmore, Villanova
4. Detroit ‣ G Max Lewis, Pepperdine
5. Charlotte (via WAS) ‣ F Brandon Miller, Alabama

2023 NBA Draft Trades
Wizards Receive: Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward
Hornets Receive: 5th overall pick, Anthony Gill

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Spurs trade former first round pick Branham for rights to Amen Thompson
The San Antonio Spurs have traded guard Malaki Branham, the 24th overall pick and Portland's 2024 first round pick to the Utah Jazz for the sixth overall pick and the rights to select Overtime Elite prospect Amen Thompson.

Thompson is one of the more exciting prospects in the draft and pairing him with Victor Wembanyama gives the Spurs fans something exciting to look forward to watching for the next decade potentially. Thompson’s quick twitch and athleticism allows him to generate paint touches nearly at will, and while he won’t often wow you with his pure passing ability, he’s a fine decision maker and capable facilitator who only stands to grow in that regard.

Offensively, Thompson is high-feel and fluid. He’s got capable handle, is good of the bounce and can finish capably with either hand at the rim in a variety of ways. His size makes him an above-average positional rebounder as well. Thompson is a playmaker defensively as well. He’s far from consistent on the perimeter, but his natural feels for the game allows for some pretty impressive steals and blocks. Most of which should translate to the NBA.

Thompson’s critical weakness is his shooting. His jump shot needs much more than work: it needs an overhaul. And he’s a ways out from seeing any sort of reliability from the perimeter. In regards to the NBA, defenders will likely sag and play off him until he can prove he’s capable of scoring from beyond the arc.

The lack of outside shooting in today's game is likely what kept Thompson from being a top three pick and eventual sliding out of the top five. The Spurs did invite him in for a private workout in which he clearly impressed them enough for them to give up a second-year player in Branham that was a first round pick last year and two first round picks for the right to draft him.

2023 NBA Draft Selections
1. San Antonio ‣ C Victor Wembanyama, France
2. Houston ‣ G Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite
3. Charlotte ‣ F Cameron Whitmore, Villanova
4. Detroit ‣ G Max Lewis, Pepperdine
5. Charlotte (via WAS) ‣ F Brandon Miller, Alabama
6. San Antonio (via UTA) ‣ G Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
7. Orlando ‣ G Jett Howard, Michigan
8. Toronto ‣ G Nick Smith Jr, Arkansas
9. Indiana ‣ F Gregory Jackson Jr, South Carolina
10. Atlanta (via UTA/MIN) ‣ F Kris Murray, Iowa
11. Portland ‣ F Taylor Hendrix, UCF
12. Oklahoma City ‣ G Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
13. Orlando ‣ C Kyle Phillips, Duke
14. Sacramento ‣ F Julian Phillips, Tennessee
15. Portland ‣ G Cason Wallace, Kentucky
16. New York ‣ G Terquavion Smith, NC State
17. New Orleans ‣ G Derek Whitehead, New Orleans

2023 NBA Draft Trades
Wizards Receive: Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward
Hornets Receive: 5th overall pick, Anthony Gill
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Spurs Receive: 6th overall pick
Jazz Receive: Malaki Branham, 24th overall pick, 2024 first round pick (Portland)
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Jazz Receive: Clint Capela, 20th overall pick
Hawks Receive: 10th overall pick, 2025 second round pick (Utah)

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Lakers select Baylor's Adam Flagler with eighteen pick of the NBA Draft
With the eighteenth pick of the 2023 NBA Draft, the Los Angeles Lakers selected Baylor guard Adam Flagler.

An undersized combo guard at six-foot-three, Flagler is a sniper from 3pt land with a quick release. He’s efficient with his touches, has great shot selection and is deadly accurate. He can get his own shot off the dribble and is a great floor spacer who can’t be left open. A good comparison for Flagler at the next level is former San Antonio and Milwaukee guard Bryn Forbes who was a streaky shooter for the Spurs and Bucks, capable of also putting the ball on the floor and making things happen occasionally off the dribble.

The pick of Flagler is a bit of surprise as many expected him to be a mid second round pick and not a lot of people had him going in the first round and especially not at eighteen to the Lakers even though he does fit a need. Notable prospects left on the board include Keyonte George, Terrence Shannon Jr, Anthony Black, Julian Strawther and Jarvis Walker.

2023 NBA Draft Selections
1. San Antonio ‣ C Victor Wembanyama, France
2. Houston ‣ G Scoot Henderson, G League Ignite
3. Charlotte ‣ F Cameron Whitmore, Villanova
4. Detroit ‣ G Max Lewis, Pepperdine
5. Charlotte (via WAS) ‣ F Brandon Miller, Alabama
6. San Antonio (via UTA) ‣ G Amen Thompson, Overtime Elite
7. Orlando ‣ G Jett Howard, Michigan
8. Toronto ‣ G Nick Smith Jr, Arkansas
9. Indiana ‣ F Gregory Jackson Jr, South Carolina
10. Atlanta (via UTA/MIN) ‣ F Kris Murray, Iowa
11. Portland ‣ F Taylor Hendrix, UCF
12. Oklahoma City ‣ G Ausar Thompson, Overtime Elite
13. Orlando ‣ C Kyle Phillips, Duke
14. Sacramento ‣ F Julian Phillips, Tennessee
15. Portland ‣ G Cason Wallace, Kentucky
16. New York ‣ G Terquavion Smith, NC State
17. New Orleans ‣ G Derek Whitehead, Duke
18. LA Lakers ‣ G Adam Flagler, Baylor
19. Brooklyn ‣ G Anthony Black, Arkansas
20. Utah ‣ F Jarvis Walker, Houston
21. Golden State ‣ C Adam Bone, UCLA
22. LA Clippers ‣ F Leonard Miller, Canada
23. Indiana ‣ G Julian Strawther, Gonzaga
24. Utah ‣ G Sid Cisse, France
25. Oklahoma City ‣ F Dillon Mitchell, Texas
26. Memphis ‣ F Grant Nelson, North Dakota State
27. Houston ‣ G Terrence Shannon Jr, Illinois
28. Utah ‣ F Roko Prkacin, Croatia
29. Indiana ‣ G Keyonte George, Baylor
30. Oklahoma City ‣ G Arthur Kaluma, Creighton

2023 NBA Draft Trades
Wizards Receive: Terry Rozier, Gordon Hayward
Hornets Receive: 5th overall pick, Anthony Gill
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Spurs Receive: 6th overall pick
Jazz Receive: Malaki Branham, 24th overall pick, 2024 first round pick (Portland)
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Jazz Receive: Clint Capela, 20th overall pick
Hawks Receive: 10th overall pick, 2025 second round pick (Utah)

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Spurs add three-point shooting in Baylor Scheierman addition in the second round
With their second round pick, the San Antonio Spurs drafted Baylor Scheierman out of Creighton with the second pick in the second round of the NBA Draft.

Scheierman is a sweet shooting lefty who plays a nice all around game and really fills up the stat sheet. He’s got good size for the SG position and is deadly accurate from downtown with deep range on his jumper and can shoot off movement. At six-foot-seven, he is an excellent rebounder for a guard.

He’s not a big time athlete and might struggle defending at the next level but in a league that values shooters, Scheierman is the type of flyer pick in the second round that NBA teams look for.

2023 NBA Draft Second Round Selections
1. Detroit ‣ G Colby Jones, Xavier (OH)
2. San Antonio ‣ G Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
3. Boston ‣ G Caleb Love, North Carolina
4. Philadelphia ‣ F Noah Looney, Alabama
5. Oklahoma City ‣ F Jalen Wilson, Kansas
6. Charlotte ‣ F Babacar Miller, Florida State
7. Orlando ‣ C Kel Ware, Oregon
8. Memphis ‣ G Brice Baugh, Ohio State
9. Boston ‣ G Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut
10. Minnesota ‣ G Rayjon Rupert, France
11. Sacramento ‣ F Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
12. Philadelphia ‣ G Greg Dickey, Kansas
13. Minnesota ‣ G Jalen Hood, Indiana
14. Washington ‣ F Drew Peterson, USC

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Lakers trade out of second round, send pick to Charlotte
The Los Angeles Lakers wrapped up their 2023 NBA Draft with a trade -- not a pick -- by sending the 15th pick in the second round to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for their 2024 second round pick, which could be a high pick in the second round.

It was the perfect ending for a rather uneventful and perhaps even disappointing night for Lakers fan that saw their team take an unexpected player with the eighteenth pick, not move back into the first round and instead, punt the draft away with their second pick.

2023 NBA Draft Second Round Selections
1. Detroit ‣ G Colby Jones, Xavier (OH)
2. San Antonio ‣ G Baylor Scheierman, Creighton
3. Boston ‣ G Caleb Love, North Carolina
4. Philadelphia ‣ F Noah Looney, Alabama
5. Oklahoma City ‣ F Jalen Wilson, Kansas
6. Charlotte ‣ F Babacar Miller, Florida State
7. Orlando ‣ C Kel Ware, Oregon
8. Memphis ‣ G Brice Baugh, Ohio State
9. Boston ‣ G Jordan Hawkins, Connecticut
10. Minnesota ‣ G Rayjon Rupert, France
11. Sacramento ‣ F Dawson Garcia, Minnesota
12. Philadelphia ‣ G Greg Dickey, Kansas
13. Minnesota ‣ G Jalen Hood, Indiana
14. Washington ‣ F Drew Peterson, USC
15. Charlotte (via LAL) ‣ C Zach Edey, Purdue
16. Indiana ‣ G Ricky Council IV, Arkansas
17. Atlanta ‣ G Bill Coleby, France
18. Sacramento ‣ G Jaylen Clark, UCLA
19. Atlanta ‣ C Darren Holmes, Dayton
20. Phoenix ‣ G Eric Gaines, UAB
21. Cleveland ‣ F Kevin McCallum, Kansas
22. Oklahoma City ‣ C Derek Lively II, Duke
23. Brooklyn ‣ G Marcus Sasser, Houston
24. Milwaukee ‣ G Mojave King, New Zealand
25. LA Clippers ‣ C Mohammad Guy, Washington State
26. Memphis ‣ G Nikola Djedovic, Serbia
27. Denver ‣ G Matthew Merrill, Mississippi
28. Philadelphia ‣ C Ousmane N'Diaye, Senegal
29. Milwaukee ‣ C James Nnaji, Nigeria
30. Washington ‣ G Isaiah Stevens, Colorado State

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Spurs opt to bring back Zach Collins, Devin Vassell despite drafting potential replacements
The San Antonio Spurs have opted to accept team options for Devin Vassell and Zach Collins worth $5.89 million and $7.70 million respectively, bringing back two of their top players from last year's roster.

Vassell, a lottery pick in 2020, averaged a career high 18.7 points per game last season on 43 percent shooting. He shot nearly 40 percent from three point range, a steady improvement from his shooting numbers as a rookie out of Florida State.

After dealing with injuries the past few seasons, Collins also posted career high numbers, shooting 53 percent from the field and 35 percent from three while averaging 1.1 points per game. A modern big with the ability to stretch the floor, Collins was a top ten pick for Portland back in 2017 but never quite panned out due to not being able to earn consistent minutes on top of injuries that kept him out for all of the 2020-2021 season.

San Antonio went out and drafted Victor Wembanyama and Amen Thompson, a center and a wing that could very well by Vassell and Collins' replacement in the starting lineup down the line. While Vassell was an easier decision with the trading of Malaki Branham, it does come as a bit of a surprise that the Spurs chose to pick up the team options for both players although at their relatively low salary, it does make sense.

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Lakers decline team options on Bamba, Beasley in efforts to free up cap space
The Los Angeles Lakers have declined team options on mid-season trade additions Mo Bamba and Malik Beasley, freeing up nearly $28 million in cap space as they enter free agency.

The Lakers also turned down team options on Davon Reed, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Cole Swidder which due $2.07 million for Reed and $1.70 million for Pippen Jr. and Swidder. With these moves, the Lakers enter free agency with $27.25 million with qualifying offers extended to Austin Reaves at $2.05 million. The Lakers did not extend their qualifying offer of $7.83 million to Rui Hachimura.

With Kyrie Irving expected to command the max at over $50 million per year, it might be time to put those fantasies away.