Spurs and Thunder swing big, Acuff-Brown shines

In Brooklyn, the NBA draft underscored how quickly teams are reshaping themselves around the league’s biggest challenges: the Spurs and Thunder both took aim at the Wembanyama problem, the Nets used the No. 6 pick on Mikel Brown Jr., and Darius Acuff Jr. slid

New York (AP) — The first night of the NBA draft in Brooklyn began with a No. 1 pick meant to signal what comes next, and by the second day the story had turned into something sharper: teams talking about “big” problems, then acting like they meant it.

The Washington Wizards started the two-day draft Tuesday night with the No. 1 pick, taking AJ Dybantsa. Wednesday night brought a fresh round of trades in the second round. and between those moves a few themes stood out—especially the way the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder tried to solve issues they’d seen firsthand.

Spurs vs. Thunder was on display both on the court and in the draft
The Thunder’s warning signs came in the Western Conference finals. where they had trouble with Victor Wembanyama. The Spurs’ trouble arrived later. in the NBA Finals—when Wembanyama wasn’t on the floor. they still couldn’t seem to keep pace.

Oklahoma City responded by drafting Aday Mara, a 7-foot-3 center from Michigan, with the No. 12 pick. The Thunder had drafted Chet Holmgren in 2022. but Holmgren struggled badly in the series that ended the Thunder’s title reign. Mara. at 260 pounds. is the Big Ten defensive player of the year from Spain. and the team is betting his physical presence can help.

Mara said about Wembanyama: “I’m excited to play against him, obviously, to play in the NBA. But I feel like I’m going to play against him a lot. If it’s not NBA, it’s going to be on the national team.”

San Antonio’s plan looked similar, even if the reasons felt different. The Spurs fell to the New York Knicks in five games in the NBA Finals, and Wembanyama at times looked exhausted—perhaps overworked—when the Knicks were dominating during stretches when backup Luke Kornet was in the game.

To change that math, the Spurs drafted 6-9 Jayden Quaintance from Kentucky and acquired the rights to Tarris Reed Jr., the rugged big man who powered UConn to the national title game. The goal, at least on paper, was to handle Wembanyama’s breaks better now.

In the middle of those big-men moves was a different debate—who can score without needing to be big
Another pre-draft argument focused on the smaller scoring guards in the class, and what teams would do when the draft finally arrived at that choice.

That moment came at the No. 6 pick. The Brooklyn Nets selected Mikel Brown Jr. from Louisville, and the pick was met with cheers in their home arena, where the draft was hosted.

Nets general manager Sean Marks said: “I think something that we saw with Mike was just how anxious and excited he was at getting out there in the NBA. ‘I got something to prove.’ It’s hard to measure. I think that’s something that will translate when you have a chip on your shoulder. you’re an extreme competitor.”.

There were also arguments for Darius Acuff Jr., and critics of Brown’s draft spot won’t stay quiet if Acuff becomes the better pro.

Acuff went with the next pick to Sacramento. He said: “I was good wherever I went. It wasn’t like a bad reaction on it.”

Supporters and skeptics of the Falcons-era comparisons will likely point to body of work. Brown set an ACC freshman record when he scored 45 points in a game and made 10 3-pointers. but a back injury forced him to miss 14 games. Acuff averaged 23.5 points, third in the nation, and led the SEC in scoring and assists. He was the SEC Tournament MVP after leading Arkansas to the title.

One-and-dones aren’t done
For years, the clearest “sure thing” in the NBA draft was that it started with a college freshman at No. 1. From 2010, when Washington took John Wall, through 2022, when Orlando selected Paolo Banchero, that was the pattern.

It changed in 2023 when San Antonio took Victor Wembanyama. In 2024, when Atlanta took fellow Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick, it marked the first time that an international player who did not play at a U.S. college was selected first in consecutive years.

But the college pipeline is back in force. The first eight picks were college freshmen, matching the record set last year. Nine of the top 10 matched another record. Darryn Peterson, the No. 2 pick by Utah, framed it as familiar competition among peers.

Peterson said: “We don’t know each super personally, but we spent some a good amount of time around each other. So we know each other kind of well. We’re going to continue to compete. I’m coming for these guys like I’ve been coming for them my whole career.”

The Knicks kept their draft cautious even after the championship
After winning a championship for the first time in 53 years. the New York Knicks ran into expectations—especially around spending. Owner James Dolan said in an interview with WFAN Radio in New York that he wanted to avoid going into the second apron. The question from the outside was immediate: after the wait. would the Knicks really not spend whatever it took for the best chance to repeat?.

Time will tell, but the draft moves looked cautious.

The Knicks traded back from their original No. 24 spot and eventually out of the first round entirely. They came into the draft with the No. 31 pick, the first spot in the second round. They traded back from there as well.

First-round picks come with guaranteed salary slots, and high second-round picks are paid well. The team also needs room if it wants to pay key role players such as Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jose Alvarado and Deuce McBride.

In the end, the Knicks left the draft with the Nos. 39 and 47 picks: German guard Jack Kayil and Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel. Kayil said if he ends up playing for the champions, he will find a way to match the team’s mentality.

Kayil said: “I think also one of my strengths is that I love winning and I give everything for that, and to come in this organization shows that they also want winners. So I think it’s a good fit.”

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AP NBA:

NBA draft Spurs Thunder Victor Wembanyama Aday Mara Jayden Quaintance Tarris Reed Jr. Mikel Brown Jr. Darius Acuff Jr. Brooklyn Nets Sacramento Kings Knicks James Dolan one-and-done AJ Dybantsa