Spurs reach for Josh Primo with No. 12 pick in 2021 NBA Draft

The San Antonio Spurs selected Alabama G Josh Primo with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft

With a 10th place finish and an early exit from the play-in tournament at the hands of the Grizzlies, the Spurs failed to be a true contender for the fourth consecutive season. This is only the second year in a row they’ve missed out on the playoffs, but even in 2017-18 and 2018-19, they barely earned a berth into the postseason and lost in the first round both times. This is also the first time in franchise history they’ve missed the playoffs twice in a row, and they’ll be looking for answers heading into next season to avoid missing out a third time.

Truly they’ve struggled ever since they lost Kawhi Leonard after the 2018 season and haven’t found that next cornerstone piece to build the team around. DeMar DeRozan led the team in scoring with 21.6 PPG through 61 games played, but he heads into this offseason as an unrestricted free agent along with several other players including Rudy Gay and Patty Mills, so they’ll have some decisions to make on who they bring back for next season.

San Antonio Spurs 2021 NBA Draft picks

No. 12, first round: Josh Primo, G, Alabama
No. 41, second round: Joe Wieskamp, G, Iowa

Fantasy basketball outlook

Josh Primo — Being picked a lot earlier than projected, the 6’6” guard brings a quickness to the court that the Spurs could definitely utilize, especially off the bench. He impressed in the NBA draft combine, and had a solid season at Alabama since he won a starting lineup spot, shooting 38.1% from downtown. He has plenty of room for improvement and can use some work both on and off the ball, but the Spurs have locked down a great guard who could have a tremendous upside in the future. I could see him being a good fantasy value play as he works his way into the team.