AN ANTONIO (June 20, 2019) – The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have selected forward Luka Samanic (LOO-kah SAH-mah-nitch) with the 19th pick and guard Keldon Johnson (KELL-din) with the 29th selection in the first round, followed up by guard Quinndary Weatherspoon (quin-DARE-ee) with the 49th overall selection in the second round of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Samanic, 6-10/215, spent the 2018-19 season with KK Olimpija, averaging 9.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 19.6 minutes in Slovenian League play. The 19-year-old from Zagreb, Croatia saw action in 12 games in the FIBA Champions League, recording 8.2 points and 5.0 rebounds in 19.4 minutes. Samanic has been a part of the Croatian national program since the age of 15 and was named MVP at the 2017 FIBA U18 European Championship after leading Croatia to gold. Over Croatia’s eight-game run, he averaged 13.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks. Samanic began his professional career in Spain in 2016 and is just the fourth player born in Croatia to be drafted in NBA history.
Johnson, 6-6/210, was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in his lone season at the University of Kentucky, contributing 13.5 points, 5.9 boards and 1.6 assists in 30.7 minutes while playing in all 37 games. The 19-year-old guard helped lift the Wildcats to the Elite Eight at the 2019 NCAA Tournament after earning All-SEC Second Team and SEC All-Freshman team honors.
Weatherspoon, 6-4/205, spent four seasons at Mississippi State and is one of just three players in school history to accumulate over 2,000 career points. He earned All-SEC honors in his final three seasons, including a spot on the All-SEC First Team in his senior year when he posted a career-best 18.5 points per game to go along with 4.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.68 steals.