点击查看原文：Open Thread: In 2019, the Spurs picked up three rookies
Open Thread: In 2019, the Spurs picked up three rookies
Purging Kawhi Leonard yielded the longest-tenured member of the Silver & Black
Welcome to the thread. During the month of June, we are talking NBA Draft. As we lead up to the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25th, we will be revisiting the Spurs draft choices. Today we remember the 2019 NBA Draft.
The Spurs started by drafting Luka Samanic. The nineteen-year-old Croatian was chosen 19th in the 2019 draft, so naturally he chose #19. I have a special place in my heart for Samanic as he was the member of the Spurs to whom I ever posed a question. I spent the first three days of July in Salt Lake City at Summer League and had the opportunity to speak to the players and sit with journalists learning the ropes.
Samanic spent two years with the Silver & Black, followed by two years in the G-League (one with the Knicks and one with the Celtics), He then signed with the Utah Jazz. He’s currently playing with Baskonia in Spain.
Because the Spurs traded Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Poeltl, and their 2019 first round pick, the Spurs ended up with the 29th pick of the draft. Keldon Johnson was chosen and is currently the longest tenured member of the Spurs.
With the 49th pick of the draft, the Spurs picked Quinndary Weartherspoon. Weatherspoon spent two years with the Spurs and another season with the Golden State Warriors. In all, he played in 42 NBA games averaging just over 2 points-per-game. Since 2022, Weathersppon has split time in China and Puerto Rico. He’s currently playing in Canada with the Brampton Honey Badgers.