Spurs take Miami shooting guard Lonnie Walker IV
SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs chose Lonnie Walker IV of Miami with the 18th overall selection in the NBA Draft on Thursday night, going with an athletic, versatile guard amid uncertainty surrounding the future of Kawhi Leonard.
Walker, who averaged 11.5 points in his lone season with the Hurricanes, joins a backcourt crowded at the moment with the likes of Danny Green, Patty Mills, Bryn Forbes and Brandon Paul.
"I'm ready to get after it right now," Walker said. "If they wanted me to work out and practice right now, I'd do it. I'm ready to compete, and at the end of the of the day, I want to be the best. I'm addicted to being the best. I'm obsessed with being the next great. It's time to be a dog, and it's just that simple I've got something to prove."
Walker shot 35 percent from 3-point range in 32 games with Miami.
The Spurs are hoping Walker can team with third-year player Dejounte Murray to form a young, athletic backcourt to help counter the tandems of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in Golden State and Chris Paul and James Harden in Houston.
The Spurs remain optimistic they can persuade Leonard to remain, but the superstar forward reportedly wants to leave the only franchise he has played for. Leonard played in only nine games last season while battling a right leg injury. His absence along with injuries to Tony Parker, Rudy Gay, Pau Gasol, Kyle Anderson led to San Antonio's worst season in two decades.
The Spurs finished seventh in the Western Conference at 47-35, snapping a streak of 18 consecutive seasons with 50 victories. San Antonio battled until the season's final week to extend its streak of consecutive playoff appearances to 21 straight.
San Antonio also had the 49th selection in the second round Thursday night.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/tag/NBAbasketball