Hawks’ Winning Streak Turns Them Into Unlikely Spoilers for the Spurs’ Draft Goldmine
The San Antonio Spurs are living the dream this season. With a top-three record in the Western Conference and a realistic shot at 60 wins, the Victor Wembanyama era is accelerating faster than anyone expected. Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have already joined the French phenom in what feels like a cheat-code rebuild. Yet one Eastern Conference team is quietly ruining the party: the Atlanta Hawks.
A nine-game win streak has the Hawks suddenly looking like a play-in contender instead of the lottery lock everyone assumed they’d be. For Spurs fans, that’s not just annoying—it’s a direct threat to one of the most lopsided trades in recent NBA history.
Let’s rewind to June 2022. San Antonio sent Dejounte Murray to Atlanta in a deal that, at the time, looked like a classic tanking move. In return, the Spurs received Atlanta’s 2025 first-round pick (already conveyed and turned into promising young forward Carter Bryant) and, crucially, an unprotected 2027 first-rounder. That 2027 pick was supposed to be a potential top-10 gem while the Hawks rebuilt around Trae Young. Fast-forward four years and the script has flipped dramatically.
The Spurs no longer need to tank—they’re a juggernaut. But they still own Atlanta’s 2027 pick. The higher the Hawks finish, the lower (and less valuable) that pick becomes. Right now, every Hawks win chips away at San Antonio’s chance at another lottery selection. If Atlanta sneaks into the playoffs and avoids the play-in entirely, the Spurs could land anywhere from the 12th to 15th overall pick instead of the projected top-8 selection most mocks had them eyeing just a month ago.
Head coach Gregg Popovich (or whoever is running the show in 2026) has to be feeling the irony. The same franchise that helped the Spurs bottom out and land Wembanyama is now trying to spoil the encore. Yet even if the pick slides to 15th, it’s still a massive win. That selection would jump San Antonio 13 spots from their own natural position, potentially delivering another rotation piece—ideally a power forward to shore up the frontcourt without maxing out the salary cap in free agency.
The Hawks have already handed the Spurs one franchise-altering asset. Another high-value pick in 2027 would be the perfect capstone on the Murray heist. Spurs fans are rooting hard for the Hawks to stumble in the final weeks or lose in the play-in. Nothing personal—it’s just business.
In the meantime, San Antonio keeps rolling. Wembanyama is dominating, the young core is clicking, and championship chatter has replaced tankathon talk. The Hawks’ spoiler role is an unexpected subplot, but it doesn’t change the bigger picture: the Spurs are building something special, and they have Atlanta’s 2022 desperation to thank for a huge head start.
Whether the 2027 pick lands at 8th or 15th, the Silver and Black are still coming out ahead. That’s the beauty of a well-timed trade—sometimes your rival helps you twice.