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On Thursday, the San Antonio Spurs selected Nikola Milutinov with the 26th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft. Although the average fan has never heard of Milutinov, the trade makes perfect sense for San Antonio’s offseason plans, which very well could include LaMarcus Aldridge. Aldridge is looking for a new team, and the Spurs are likely to be atop his list.
San Antonio will enter free agency with several players on the radar. Most notably, the Spurs will look to re-sign Kawhi Leonard, who is a restricted free agent. Additionally, San Antonio will also attempt to re-sign Danny Green, who is set to make the largest contract of his life.
Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili are also coming off of the books, and their decisions regarding retirement will be pivotal for San Antonio’s plans this summer. In addition to that, the Spurs are looking for salary cap space to sign Aldridge, a player who will demand a max contract this offseason.
For this reason, San Antonio selected Milutinov as a “draft and stash” type of player. Milutinov will stay in Europe for at least one more year, so he will not count towards the salary cap next year. This will allow San Antonio to have as much money as possible for Green, Leonard, Ginobili, Duncan and possibly Aldridge.
Although this is far from a sexy pick for the Spurs, San Antonio made a smart selection on draft night in selecting Milutinov. The Spurs have had success with foreign players in the draft for some time, and Milutinov could be the next guy to make an NBA impact down the road.
Nicholas Sciria is a writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Nick_Sciria, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
