Spurs Already See Long Term Value In A Nuggets Linked Draft Piece

Spurs bolster their roster by acquiring a promising backup for Victor Wembanyama, showcasing depth for the upcoming season.

The San Antonio Spurs made a flurry of roster moves on Monday, but one of the more notable additions came in the form of a big man who could eventually give Victor Wembanyama real help behind him.

After acquiring him from the Denver Nuggets during the NBA Draft, the Spurs signed Tarris Reed Jr. along with first-round selections Jayden Quaintance and the club’s second-round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown.

“The San Antonio Spurs today announced that they have signed first-round selections Jayden Quaintance (20th overall) and Tarris Reed Jr. (26th overall), along with San Antonio’s second-round picks Ja’Kobi Gillespie (42nd overall) and Maliq Brown (44th overall),” the organization announced.

Reed, listed at 6-10 and 270 pounds, played 136 games with 67 starts across four seasons at Michigan from 2022-24 and UConn from 2024-26. Over that span, he averaged 9.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.50 blocks while shooting 59.1% from the field.

His final season with the Huskies showed why he’s viewed as a useful pro-level center. Reed averaged 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in 35 games, hitting 60.7% of his shots. He gave UConn a physical presence inside, scoring with his back to the basket, creating room with hard screens, cleaning the glass, and holding his own on the defensive end.

Even with Luke Kornet as the more experienced backup center on the roster, Reed’s game gives him a real chance to enter that conversation down the line. At the very least, his skill set puts him in the mix for the role in 2026-27.

In Other News...

Nuggets May Be Weighing A Move Fans Never Wanted Around Jokic

Denvers offseason has been quieter than many around the league expected, and that silence has only fueled the sense that something could still be brewing around Nikola Jokic. The Nuggets have not made any official statement about a major shakeup, but the conversation has shifted toward whether the front office is looking to retool the supporting cast rather than stand pat.

Jamal Murray has inevitably become part of that discussion, which is the kind of idea that tends to land hard with a fan base that has watched him grow alongside Jokic. He still has three years and $160 million left on his deal, so any real movement would be complicated, but the broader question is whether Denver is willing to consider a different look if it believes the right upgrade is out there. [Read more 🡒]

Lakers Face A Tough Peyton Watson Decision They Can't Ignore

Peyton Watson has become a name worth watching as the Lakers continue to sift through possible roster upgrades, and any path to prying him loose would run through Denver. Watson is a restricted free agent, which means the Nuggets still hold the cards, and any sign-and-trade talk is only as real as the Lakers willingness to keep pushing for it.

The reported framework being discussed would look a lot like the Lakers recent Walker Kessler approach, only on a smaller scale in both money and draft capital. Even so, the idea is not a casual one for Denver, which would have to decide whether moving a young defensive piece makes sense as the offseason picture develops. [Read more 🡒]

Nuggets Backup Center Drama Feels Like It Is Reaching A Breaking Point

The backup-center market has been moving around the Nuggets in a way that makes their own frontcourt questions feel even more urgent. The Lakers addressed one of those spots by signing Kevon Looney to a one-year deal, and around Denver the focus has shifted back to Jonas Valanciunas, whose contract situation is now sitting right in the middle of the teams roster calculus.

Valanciunas has not even reached the point where Denver has to make a final call, but the July 8 guarantee date is close enough that every new addition and every bit of roster shuffling gets read as a clue. With Marvin Bagley III now in the mix, the Nuggets have more reason to weigh fit, cost and depth all at once, and that is what has made this backup center situation feel like it could tip in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]