Account
Luka Samanic to Spurs: San Antonio's Current Roster After 2019 NBA Draft
June 21, 2019
The San Antonio Spurs took an intriguing risk with the No. 19 overall pick, selecting high-upside forward Luka Samanic out of Croatia.
Here's a look at how Samanic slots into San Antonio's roster.
Check out B/R NBA draft expert Jonathan Wasserman’s scouting profile on Samanic.
Spurs Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)
Bryn Forbes, SG: $3M (2020)
Chimezie Metu, PF: $838K (2021)
Davis Bertans, SF: $7.3M (2020)
Dejounte Murray, PG: $1.6M (2020)
DeMar DeRozan, SG: $27.8M (2021)
Derrick White, PG: $1.7M (2021)
Jakob Poeltl, C: $3.1M (2020)
Keldon Johnson, SF: $1.6M (2023)
LaMarcus Aldridge, PF: $25M (2021)
Lonnie Walker IV, SG: $2.6M (2022)
Marco Belinelli, SG: $6M (2020)
Patrick Mills, PG: $12M (2021)
Luka Samanic, PF: $2.2M (2023)
Quindarry Weatherspoon, SG
Ben Moore, PF: RFA
Dante Cunningham, PF: UFA
Donatas Motiejunas, PF: UFA
Drew Eubanks, C: RFA
Quincy Pondexter, SG: UFA
Rudy Gay, SF: UFA
Samanic hasn't proved much on the court, competing professionally with Barcelona's B team before moving to Croatia this past season with Petrol Olimpija.
Although he eventually started some games and played over 15 minutes per game in league play, he struggled to make much of an impact on the offensive end outside of being used as a three-point specialist.
Despite the uncertainty, there are plenty of reasons for scouts to be excited about Samanic's future.
The 6'11" forward turned some heads at the scouting combine with a smooth shooting stroke as well as a 38-inch max vertical leap, per NBA.com. His 3.03-second shuttle run was also comparable to most of the guards in the class and well ahead of the majority of big men who took part in the drill.
This gives him plenty of upside in addition to what he can provide early in his career.
"I think I can be a two-way player," he said earlier this month, per Matthew VanTryon of the Indy Star. "As a young player I can play defense, bring energy to the offensive end, shoot the ball and spread the ball for the guards."
The Spurs seem to agree by taking the player in the first round of the draft.
It's unknown what type of impact Samanic will have in 2019-20, but the future is bright for the young forward. And given the team's track record of developing international players, he couldn't have found a better fit than San Antonio.