No. 20 overall pick Jayden Quaintance Expected to miss most or all of rookie season after that In July, he underwent meniscus surgerybut the former Kentucky big man was just one of four players selected Spurs in the 2026 draft — and the early return from San Antonio’s rookie class has generally been positive.
They lost to Utah, the 26th overall pick, on Monday before the season opener Tarris Reed Jr tallied a staggering 17 rebounds and four steals in 24 minutes off the bench. While Reed’s teammates have raved about his effort and energy since camp began, the former UConn standout still wasn’t entirely satisfied with his performance against the Jazz, as Tom Orsborn writes for The San Antonio Express-News (subscription required).
“Not to pick on you, but if it was UConn, coach (Dan Hurley) is going to yell at me because I had 10 boards in the first half, (then) I slacked off a little bit early in the second.” Reid said. “Could easily get away with 20, 25 rebounds, so I’ve got to be better.”
Ja’Koby GillespieThe 42nd overall pick this year was another standout reserve for the Spurs on Monday. He scored 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting in 25 minutes, along with three assists and three steals. It’s unclear if there will be a spot for Gillespie in San Antonio’s deep rotation during the regular season, but he’s doing his best during the preseason to make a case for his playing time, as Orsborn describes in a separate Express-News story (subscription required).
“He’s a guy who, in terms of what we expect from every single person on our roster, the way he guards and competes, shares the basketball, plays up-tempo, is aggressive, attacks (does a good job).” head coach Mitch Johnson said. “He’s not perfect, but he plays with confidence and puts his energy in the right places. The next thing you know, he’s got a lot of opportunities and good spots to put himself in.”
We have more on Spurs:
- Last season, San Antonio had the third-ranked offense in the league and reached the NBA Finals. Dylan Harper coming off the bench, but Johnson appears to be leaning toward starting the former No. 2 overall pick alongside De’Aaron Fox and Castle Stefan this season. It’s a bold setup, by the way Kelly Ico of Yahoo Sportswhich details why this move makes sense for the Spurs, even if none of Harper, Fox and Castle are serious threats from beyond the arc.
- In the 2026/27 season, expectations from the Spurs are much higher than a year ago, and the organization recognizes that defending the Western Conference title will not be easy. ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. However, the team is optimistic that it has room to continue to grow and improve. “We’re very fortunate to have such a dynamic roster where you can really get creative in terms of the pieces of the puzzle and how you want to build the puzzle,” Johnson said. “We’ve seen that at times with three guards in addition to what you can do around Victor (Vembanyama). … There’s some growth for those three guys just in terms of them playing with each other and continuing to complement each other.”
- Lottery selection 2025 Carter Bryant played a modest role with the Spurs as a rookie, averaging just 11.5 minutes per night in 71 regular season games off the bench. However, the club expects him to take a step forward in his second season, according to Orsborn (subscription required), who notes that the 20-year-old has a “next game mentality” and is determined not to let it bother him if he makes a mistake. “No one will ever go from rookie to ‘Bron’ (LeBron James) in a year, but I expect him to definitely make the leap.” teammate Julian Champagne said of Bryant. “He’s been working hard all summer. He’s been looking really good in practice, so I expect Carter to do Carter things.”