Carter Bryant may be easy to miss in a San Antonio Spurs rotation that already feels overloaded with talent, but the 14th overall pick from 2025 was brought in for a very specific reason.
The Spurs’ roster is crowded with names that already command attention. Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, Tobias Harris and Julian Champagnie make up what the piece describes as the best core in the NBA. Behind them are Keldon Johnson, Luke Kornet and especially De’Aaron Fox, giving San Antonio even more depth and leaving Bryant buried in the mix.
That doesn’t mean Bryant is without a path. He entered the league as a high-ceiling 3-and-D prospect, and as one of the youngest and least experienced players in the draft class, he spent much of his rookie season on the margins. Still, he already looks like a capable defender, and he showed he can knock down 3-pointers, even if the volume was limited.
The wing rotation in San Antonio is stacked, with Vassell, Harris, Johnson and Champagnie expected to handle most of the shots and minutes. Bryant and Harrison Barnes are currently closer to the end of the bench, but the long-term picture is more open than it looks right now. Johnson and Barnes are set to become free agents after this season, and Harris is not viewed as a long-term piece.
Bryant also has a few traits that could help him climb faster than expected. His defensive upside gives him an edge over Champagnie, and his downhill ability adds another layer to his game. That combination has people around the team thinking bigger things could be coming.
“The future looks bright for the 6-foot-6 forward, who fits neatly between franchise center Victor Wembanyama and young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper on the positional depth chart,” wrote ESPN's Ben Golliver. “Realistically, a breakthrough might still be a few years away. Bryant was guilty of his fair share of rookie mistakes, and he seems destined to be an afterthought on offense given San Antonio's scoring talent.”
A starting job next season is not the expectation, and Bryant may not crack the starting five until his fourth or fifth year in the NBA. Even so, the lane to real minutes is there, and his role with this group is already easy to define.
That matters because the pieces around him are already formidable. Castle is one of the best point-of-attack defenders in the NBA.
Harper is one of the best young players in the league. Wembanyama is one of the best players, period.
If Bryant grows into the player San Antonio drafted and meshes with that trio, the Spurs could end up even scarier than they already look.
In Other News...
Spurs Invite Three Long Shots To Fight For One Tough Roster Spot
The Spurs have added three more bodies to training camp, giving Miles Barnstable, Jayden Nunn and Taelon Peter a chance to spend the next few weeks trying to talk their way onto the edge of the roster. It is the kind of low-risk, high-competition move teams make when the regular-season picture is mostly set, and in San Antonio's case the math is already tight with 14 players on standard deals and all three two-way slots filled.
So the opening is narrow, but it is real. One of those camp invitees could still play his way into an active-roster spot, and if not, the path may lead to the Austin Spurs in the G League. The bigger question around the roster is whether the front office leaves this spot alone for now or keeps one more move in reserve as camp unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have A Real Fight Over A Key Starting Spot
Julian Champagnies new three-year extension gave the Spurs a clear vote of confidence in one of their younger core pieces, but it did not exactly freeze the depth chart in place. San Antonio also brought in Tobias Harris, a veteran forward with far more NBA mileage and a game that can stretch across multiple roles offensively, which gives the front office and coaching staff a legitimate new option as they sort out the lineup.
The overlap is what makes this worth watching. Champagnie has already earned a place as a starter on a successful team, but Harris has done the same with a different resume and a different kind of polish, and the Spurs now have to decide which version fits best alongside their other pieces. The answer will come in camp and the preseason, where the team can see whether continuity or experience wins out in the opening five. [Read more 🡒]
Bulls Take A Closer Look At Young Guard Depth In Camp
The late-summer roster churn keeps rolling, and the Spurs have added another name to their camp mix as teams sort through young guards and G League possibilities before the preseason grind settles in. Around the league, Detroit brought in Jordan Riley on a training camp contract, while Chicago padded its own backcourt look with Houston Mallette and Peter Suder, a reminder of how many teams are still searching for developmental depth at the perimeter.
San Antonios addition fits that same mold, giving the club a closer look at a rookie guard as camp opens and the evaluation window narrows. The deal appears to be structured with the G League pathway in mind, which gives the Spurs a low-risk way to see how Barnstable fits while keeping an eye on the longer-term upside that often comes with these training camp signings. [Read more 🡒]