Ja’Kobi Gillespie may have just given the San Antonio Spurs another reason to feel good about the one area already driving their buzz: the backcourt.
Victor Wembanyama gets plenty of the spotlight, and for good reason. But San Antonio’s guard room might be the real headache for the rest of the NBA. The Spurs already have a stack of shot creators and playmakers, and if Gillespie’s summer league showing is any indication, that group just got deeper.
The Spurs took Gillespie with the No. 42 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, and the early return looks promising. At 22, he brings the kind of profile teams love in the second round: a guard who can handle the ball, make plays, and defend. The shot has been a little uneven at times, but it has also flashed as elite in a top-tier conference.
That mix showed up on Wed., July 15, when Gillespie delivered 25 points, five assists, and two steals in San Antonio’s 94-82 summer league win over the Utah Jazz. He hit 10 of 21 shots from the field and went 3 of 8 from deep.
And it wasn’t just a solid outing in a vacuum. Gillespie did it against No. 2 overall draft pick Darryn Peterson, which gives the Spurs even more reason to pay attention to what he can become.
San Antonio’s guard rotation is already loaded. De’Aaron Fox is the All-NBA point guard at the front of it, Stephon Castle brings future All-Defense potential, and Dylan Harper carries the kind of upside that makes people stop and stare. Devin Vassell rounds out the group as a wing who can play either the 2 or the 3, knock down threes efficiently, and score from the midrange.
So where does Gillespie fit? That’s the question, and it’s a good one.
Minutes won’t come easy with that many high-end guards in the picture, but the NBA has a way of making room through foul trouble, injuries, and lineup shifts. There’s also a real chance the starting five changes down the line.
Harper will likely become a starter at some point, which could push one of Castle, Fox, or Vassell into a reserve role.
If that happens, Gillespie could become a useful piece fast. He could run the second unit if Vassell slides down, or he could give Fox support as a defensive pest and shooter if the All-Star guard ends up as the sixth man.
That’s the appeal here: the Spurs don’t just need talent, they need another guard who can handle playmaking and defend at a high level. Gillespie has shown both. He hounds ball handlers, jumps passing lanes, and brings the kind of pressure that can tilt possessions.
The shooting numbers help, too. In 2023-24, he hit 38.7 percent of his threes on 4.2 attempts per game.
In 2024-25, that climbed to 40.7 percent on 5.9 attempts while he was in the Big Ten. The concern is the 33.8 percent mark he posted on 8.2 attempts per game in the SEC in 2025-26, but the broader track record still gives him something to sell.
If Gillespie makes the roster and keeps providing the shooting, playmaking, and defensive value he flashed in summer league, the Spurs’ strongest trait could get even more intimidating.
In Other News...
De'Aaron Fox's Spurs Reality Is Not What Fans Expected
De'Aaron Fox arrived in San Antonio with the kind of rsum that usually signals a clear backcourt hierarchy, but his first stretch with the Spurs has been more about fitting around Victor Wembanyama than reclaiming a lead role. Fox's usage and efficiency have been part of the conversation all season and into the playoffs, and the bigger picture is that his game has had to bend to a roster that asks different things of him than Sacramento did.
Stephon Castle's rise has only sharpened that adjustment, giving the Spurs another high-usage young piece and leaving Fox to keep adapting as the offense evolves. For a player who has spent so much of his career carrying the load, the next step in San Antonio is less about rediscovering old habits and more about making this new hierarchy work, with his second full year likely to bring even more of that same balancing act. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Make A Tough Call On Harrison Ingram's Future
Harrison Ingrams path with San Antonio has reached a crossroads after a promising run in the G League never quite carried over to the Spurs main roster. The 2024 second-round pick flashed enough in Austin to keep the conversation alive, but his role in San Antonio stayed limited across his time with the club, leaving the organization to weigh upside against immediate roster needs.
Now the Spurs are making room to keep evaluating the next wave of talent as their rotation continues to take shape. For Ingram, that means a strong developmental season is no longer enough to guarantee a spot in the picture, and his future will be decided in a market where his best argument is still the potential he showed away from the NBA spotlight. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Just Backed Themselves Into One More Tough Roster Decision
Jordan McLaughlin is back on a league-minimum deal, giving San Antonio another steady guard option and nudging the roster closer to full. The move fits the Spurs need for dependable depth, especially from a shooter who can handle limited minutes during the regular season and, if needed, in the playoffs.
It also puts the front office in a familiar spot, balancing the desire to keep adding useful minimum pieces against a payroll that is creeping toward the luxury tax line. With 14 players now in place, the Spurs still have some room to maneuver, and the next decision could come down to whether they keep working the edges of the roster with another minimum contract or a two-way move. [Read more 🡒]