Four years ago, in the aftermath of a first-round playoff ouster that seemed to signal the end of an era, the Spurs entered the NBA draft armed with the No. 29 pick and little hope of rebuilding a championship contender in one night.

What happened next is one of the draft’s great modern success stories.

The Spurs traded up to the 15th spot to select a 19-year-old from San Diego State named Kawhi Leonard, who would one day become the youngest NBA Finals MVP since Magic Johnson.

General manager R.C. Buford still harbors a secret about what turned out to be the most consequential Spurs draft in more than a decade.

He traded up for a virtual stranger.

“We didn’t have a lot of access to much information on Kawhi,” Buford reflected this week. “We had our own scouting reports and (league-wide) medical releases, but that was it.”

Though the circumstances are different, intelligence on whoever the Spurs nab with the No. 26 pick in Thursday’s NBA draft is likely to be just as limited.

More Information NBA draft When: 6 p.m. Thursday Where: Barclays Center, Brooklyn, N.Y. TV: ESPN As of Wednesday: 1. Timberwolves, 2. Lakers, 3. 76ers, 4. Knicks, 5. Magic 6. Kings, 7. Nuggets, 8. Pistons, 9. Hornets, 10. Heat, 11. Pacers, 12. Jazz, 13. Suns, 14. Thunder First round: 26th overall Second round: 55th Fallow ground Since Tony Parker in 2001, only three players the Spurs have drafted in the 20s or later have gone on to play in more than 33 games as a rookie the following season. A glance at the Spurs’ travails as perennial late drafters (overall pick in parentheses): 2014: (30) Kyle Anderson, appeared in 33 games 2013: (28) Livio Jean-Charles, remains in France 2012: No first-round pick *2011: (29) Cory Joseph, played in 29 games 2010: (20) James Anderson, played in 26 games as a rookie, let go after second season 2009: (37) DeJuan Blair, rare second-round contributor, played in all 82 games 2008: (26) George Hill, appeared in 77 games, started seven, eventually traded for Kawhi Leonard 2007: (27) Tiago Splitter, remained in Spain, joined Spurs in 2010-11 2006: No first-round pick 2005: (28) Ian Mahinmi, remained in France until 2007 2004: (28) Beno Udrih, appeared in 80 games as Parker’s backup 2003: (28) Leandro Barbosa, drafted for Phoenix 2002: (26) John Salmons, drafted for Philadelphia Jeff McDonald

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Those are the travails of a team perennially picking in the 20s or later, the draft-day toll of charting an NBA-record 18 consecutive seasons of winning at least 60 percent of their games.

The prospects who typically fall to the Spurs began the pre-draft process hoping to move into the lottery. They don’t see much point in working out for teams near the bottom of the draft board.

“We don’t have the same access to players as teams drafting in the top 20 picks,” Buford said. “We can get all the guys in the world who are going to go in the second round (to work out). To get guys in our range, it’s more difficult. And it’s more difficult to prepare when access to your real candidates is limited.”

The Spurs did not work out Leonard individually prior to swapping George Hill for him in 2011. Likewise, they had not worked out Kyle Anderson last season when they made him the 30th overall pick.

If it sounds like something of a crapshoot, it is.

The Spurs rely heavily on their own scouting department and word of mouth.

Buford describes the Spurs’ approach to the draft this way: “It’s an educated gamble.”

Odds of the Spurs landing a player Thursday who will have an immediate impact seem slim.

Over the past 10 seasons, only two players the Spurs found in the 20s or later — George Hill in 2008 and second-rounder DeJuan Blair in 2009 — went on to appear in more than 33 games as a rookie the following season.

The Spurs have not entered the draft with a pick higher than 20th since taking Tim Duncan first overall in 1997. That was the last time the Spurs were in the lottery, by far the league’s longest active drought.

Consensus says Kentucky center Karl-Anthony Towns is slated to go No. 1 overall to Minnesota on Thursday. Barring a trade, the Spurs will face another long wait to make their first selection.

According to league sources, the Spurs could be working to move center Tiago Splitter, a move that — if it comes — would be made with the intention of clearing cap space to make a run at a maximum-level free agent in July.

“I don’t think it’s active shopping,” one executive said, “but teams are informed he’s available.”

Trade interest in Splitter has been tepid so far. In the meantime, the Spurs are left to pan for talent at the bottom of another draft.

The list of players known to have worked out for or interviewed with the Spurs in the run-up to this year’s draft include Louisville point guard Terry Rozier, Louisville forward Montrezl Harrell, Stanford forward Anthony Brown, Virginia forward Justin Anderson and Arizona forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

The Spurs also own the 55th pick in the second round. Possibilities in that range could include Boston College point guard Olivier Hanlan, Oregon point guard Joseph Young, Notre Dame guard Pat Connaughton, Kansas forward Cliff Alexander or Syracuse forward Chris McCullough.

With an eye toward conserving cash for free agency, the Spurs might also consider selecting a so-called “draft and stash” player not expected to play in the NBA next season.

Among the candidates are Serbian 7-footer Nikola Milutinov, Turkish forward Cedi Osman, Latvian small forward Janis Berzins and Spanish center Guillermo Hernangomez.

Another name worth monitoring in the second round is Juan Pablo Vaulet.

The 19-year-old guard starred last season for the Argentine professional team based in Manu Ginobili’s hometown of Bahia Blanca.

Vaulet’s coach there? Sebastian Ginobili, brother of the Spurs guard.

No matter which direction the Spurs go Thursday night, they are likely to select a player they don’t know nearly as well as they’d like.

For the 18th consecutive season, Buford and his team will make an educated gamble and hope for the best.

“You’re at the mercy of the depth of the draft,” Buford said. “You just hope your process leads you to right decisions.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

Twitter: @JMcDonald_SAEN

Staff writer Mike Monroe contributed to this report.