Carter Bryant didn’t come into his first Spurs season carrying the kind of pressure that can crush a rookie. That mattered. With so much attention trained elsewhere in San Antonio, Bryant was able to settle in and put together a debut that gave the Spurs real reason to like what they saw.
The 14th-overall pick appeared in 71 regular-season games and was active for all but one of the team’s playoff matchups. He never cracked the starting five, but he carved out a steady role off the bench and made himself useful in limited minutes. Bryant averaged about four points, two and a half rebounds, and one assist in just over 11 minutes per game.
For a rookie, that’s a perfectly respectable opening act. For a rookie taken where Bryant was, it’s even easier to call it a positive first step.
That kind of production also fits the reality of this Spurs roster. San Antonio has a lot of young talent, and that depth creates a tricky problem: there are only so many minutes to hand out. Bryant’s path forward could be shaped as much by competition for playing time as by his own development.
The Spurs dealt with that same issue last season and handled it well, though one player in particular changed the conversation. Dylan Harper eventually jumped ahead after a huge finish to the year, and his surge added another layer to the already high standard in San Antonio.
That standard is steep because of what Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle already did, winning back-to-back NBA Rookie of the Year awards. Compared with that kind of spotlight, Bryant’s rookie year landed in a different lane. Solid, useful, promising - just not as loud as some of his teammates.
Still, Bryant showed enough to suggest he can become part of the Spurs’ core down the line. He may not get to headline the way Harper did, and he may need more time to get there, but for a team built around youth, that’s not necessarily a problem.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Find Themselves In A Frustrating Knicks Free Agency Fight
The backup-center market is getting crowded in a hurry, and San Antonio is suddenly part of the conversation even though the issue is bigger in New York. Both teams need frontcourt depth for the coming season, but the Spurs are at least starting from a place of flexibility, with Luke Kornet in the picture and several recent draft picks who could grow into the job if the staff wants to stay internal.
New York, by contrast, looks far more exposed behind Karl-Anthony Towns, which is why this competition could turn frustrating for San Antonio if the same names start disappearing. The Spurs are weighing whether to upgrade the spot rather than settle, and that leaves them balancing immediate need against the possibility that one of their young bigs can eventually claim the role. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Have One Roster Problem Tobias Harris Didnt Solve
Tobias Harris gave the Spurs another layer of depth and versatility, but he did not answer every question on the roster. San Antonio still has a clear hole behind Victor Wembanyama, and the front office knows the backup center spot needs more than a stopgap if it wants to keep the rotation balanced over the long haul.
Luke Kornets postseason stint is part of why the issue remains unfinished, and the Spurs now have two open roster spots to work with as they look for a better fit. Whether that comes from a veteran, a younger big or some other avenue, the next move at center matters because Wembanyamas minutes will have to be managed carefully during the regular season. [Read more 🡒]
Clippers Fans Are Going To Hate This New 2028 Pick Twist
The Celtics latest draft-pick haul in the Jaylen Brown trade is already drawing attention for its sheer volume, but the real intrigue is buried in the fine print around a 2028 first-rounder. Boston is also picking up a 2031 unprotected first and several second-rounders from Philadelphia, and the rest of the return is tangled up in a web of pick swaps involving the Clippers, Sixers, Celtics and Spurs. For San Antonio followers, the key piece is obvious: the Spurs own 2028 first-round slot is part of the machinery shaping how Bostons side of the deal could ultimately shake out.
What makes this even messier is that Bostons 2028 positioning may not stop with the picks already in the trade. There is reported language suggesting the Celtics could also swap into any additional 2028 first-round pick Philadelphia acquires later if that pick ends up more favorable, though it is still unclear how much of that wording will survive NBA review. For now, the structure leaves more questions than answers, and the Spurs connection to the whole thing is one more reason this deal may not be fully understood until the league signs off. [Read more 🡒]