The San Antonio Spurs came painfully close to winning the NBA championship, and Bleacher Report believes they could use the No. 20 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft to address one of their biggest Finals weaknesses.
Bleacher Report projects the Spurs to select Santa Clara forward Allen Graves with the 20th overall pick, giving San Antonio another floor-spacing frontcourt piece around Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, and De’Aaron Fox.
On paper, the Spurs were not a bad shooting team in the postseason. They shot 36.5% from three-point range during the playoffs overall. But the NBA Finals exposed a major issue. San Antonio dropped to 33.9% from three in the Finals against the New York Knicks, and there were long stretches where the Spurs simply could not buy a basket.
That became especially damaging because several of their most important players struggled from deep. Wembanyama shot just 9-for-33 from three, good for 27.3%. Castle went 6-for-20 at exactly 30.0%. Harper finished 7-for-25 at 28.0%. Fox was even worse, hitting only 7 of his 28 attempts for 25.0%.
The only reliable high-volume shooters were Devin Vassell and Julian Champagnie, who both finished above 40%. That is why a player like Graves makes sense.
Graves spent two years at Santa Clara, redshirting during the 2024-25 season before breaking out in 2025-26. In 35 games, he averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.9 steals, and 0.9 blocks in only 22.6 minutes per game.
The efficiency is what stands out most. Graves shot 51.2% from the field, 41.3% from three-point range, and 75.0% from the free-throw line. He made 37 of his 89 three-point attempts and also totaled 67 steals, tying for the most among Division I freshmen.
That combination of shooting, rebounding, defensive activity, and feel is why scouts are starting to view him as a first-round prospect. At 6-foot-9 and 225 pounds, Graves does not project as a star athlete. In fact, his athletic limitations are well known. He was never expected to dominate the combine with explosiveness or vertical pop.
But he does enough other things well. Graves has a 7-foot wingspan, strong hands, good anticipation, and a smart understanding of space. He can shoot off the catch, crash the offensive glass, make quick passing reads, and disrupt plays defensively. His background as a former high school point guard also shows in the way he handles decisions in the short roll and connective passing situations.
That is why Bleacher Report compared him to Boris Diaw. For the Spurs, the appeal would be fit.
San Antonio does not need another player who wants to dominate the ball. Wembanyama, Castle, Harper, and Fox already give the franchise plenty of creation. What the Spurs need is shooting, size, decision-making, and players who can punish defenses for overloading on their stars.
Graves checks many of those boxes.
In our mock draft, we projected the Spurs to take Baylor guard Cameron Carr because of his athleticism and shooting. Carr averaged 18.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 2.6 assists while shooting 37.4% from three. He also tested as a ridiculous athlete with a 42.5-inch vertical.
But Graves offers a different type of value. He is bigger, more versatile in the frontcourt, and could give San Antonio another smart spacer next to Wembanyama. He may not have Carr’s explosiveness, but his shooting touch and feel could translate quickly.
After losing the Finals in five games, the Spurs do not need to panic. Their core is still loaded with young talent. But the Finals showed exactly where the roster must improve. They need more dependable shooting around Wembanyama.
Allen Graves may not be the flashiest name at No. 20, but for San Antonio, he could be the kind of smart, efficient, floor-spacing forward who helps fix a very real problem.
