Did the Spurs and Gregg Popovich just draft the heir apparent to Kawhi Leonard?
.JPG "Miami's Lonnie Walker IV, right, shakes hands with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after he was picked 18th overall by the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA basketball draft in New York, Thursday, June 21, 2018.")
The San Antonio Spurs aren't usually a focus of the NBA draft.
That was not the case this year.
The tension between star Kawhi Leonard and head coach Gregg Popovich lingered over everything. Multiple reports have stated Leonard told Popovich that he wants to leave the Spurs.
And the team's selection on Thursday night might have added fuel to the fire. With the No. 18 pick in the draft, the Spurs took shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV out of Miami.
Walker, a former five-star recruit, spent just one season with the Hurricanes where he averaged 11.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game; he averaged 13.6 points in ACC games. He projects as an athletic combo-guard who can hit a consistent jump shot, play above-average defense and get to the hoop, all things Leonard has become elite at.
He's believed to be the first Hurricanes player to turn pro after his freshman season.
Walker, who is listed at 6-foot-4, has a 6-foot-10 wingspan.
This story was originally published June 21, 2018 at 8:33 PM with the headline "Did the Spurs and Gregg Popovich just draft the heir apparent to Kawhi Leonard?."