The Spurs’ bench was one of the league’s best during the regular season last year, and that kind of depth is exactly what San Antonio will need if it wants to keep pushing toward another NBA Finals run. The problem, of course, is that playoff rotations have a way of tightening fast. The second unit that looked so strong for stretches last season shrank later in the postseason, and the Spurs will be hoping that doesn’t happen again.
That’s why the reserves matter so much heading into 2026-27. The starters will get the headlines, but these five players could end up shaping how far this team goes.
At No. 5 is Keldon Johnson, still one of the Spurs’ best sources of juice off the bench. His role has shifted over time, but the value remains obvious.
Johnson brings physicality on the wing and can wake up the second unit - or the whole roster - with his energy. When he pushes in transition or simply plays with force and emotion, Big Body can flip the tone of a game in a hurry.
Carter Bryant comes in at No. 4, and the “Swiss-Army knife” tag fits him far better than it once fit Jeremy Sochan. Bryant may not pile up eye-catching numbers, but he does a little bit of everything that helps win possessions. His athleticism lets him bother offenses across multiple positions, he runs the floor hard, he can hit open shots, and he has the kind of bounce that turns into emphatic finishes at the rim.
No. 3 is Tobias Harris, the steadying presence San Antonio can lean on when things get messy. A 15-year veteran, Harris knows how to slow the game down and get to his spots, especially when the Spurs need a bucket to stop a slide.
That kind of dependability matters for a young team. He gives the Silver and Black another player who can settle things and keep the group from spiraling.
The No. 2 spot belongs to Luke Kornet/Tarris Reed Jr., because backing up Victor Wembanyama is one of the most important jobs on the roster. The source here doesn’t see Kornet as a lock to keep the role all season, and Reed’s athleticism and versatility make him a real factor in the competition.
Kornet brings experience and a sharp feel for the game. Reed brings a different kind of upside.
Either way, the Spurs need someone who can hold the line when Wembanyama sits.
And at No. 1 is Dylan Harper, the backup generator San Antonio can turn to when the offense needs a spark. The Spurs’ three-guard setup works because each piece brings something dangerous, and Harper is the guy who can take over in bursts.
That matters when De’Aaron Fox and/or Stephon Castle are off the floor. Wembanyama shouldn’t have to be the one initiating everything, and with Harper in the mix, he won’t need to be.
Harper’s downhill pressure gives the Spurs another way to bend a defense, and as his playmaking keeps improving, he should become even tougher to contain. He also brings real value on defense. Put it all together, and he looks like the kind of reserve who can change a game without needing it to revolve around him.
That’s the bigger point here: championship teams need more than stars. They need reliable answers in different forms, and San Antonio has several of them on this list. If these bench players keep embracing their roles, they could be a major reason the Spurs make another deep playoff run.
In Other News...
Spurs Just Sent A Clear Message With Their Riskiest Draft Bet
The Spurs have spent the last few years building real momentum around Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper, and the payoff has already been obvious in the form of a Finals trip. So when San Antonio went into the 2026 NBA Draft and used the No. 20 pick on Jayden Quaintance, it fit a pattern the front office has leaned into since the rebuild started to accelerate: keep chasing difference-makers, even when the safer route is sitting right there.
Quaintance is the sort of bet that tells you where the Spurs think they are in the cycle. He brings the kind of upside teams usually reserve for much earlier in the draft, but his college rsum is still thin enough to leave plenty of questions attached to the selection. For a franchise that has surged all the way to 62 wins and the Finals, the message is less about playing it safe and more about refusing to settle now that the foundation is in place. [Read more 🡒]
Tarris Reed Jr Is Already Giving The Spurs Something They Needed
The Spurs did not sit still on draft night when they went after Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26, and the early returns are easy to notice. Reed has already been on the floor in summer league wearing silver and black, and his first impression has centered on the kind of interior presence San Antonio has been looking to add around its young core.
In one of those games, Reed flashed exactly why the Spurs were willing to move up for him, giving them activity on the glass and a physical edge in the paint. His size and strength stand out immediately, and if that carries over, he could become the sort of frontcourt weapon that changes how defenses have to deal with Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Fans Suddenly Have A Wild Wemby Question To Consider
Victor Wembanyama is now in the window where the Spurs can lock him into a rookie-scale extension that would put him among the leagues highest-paid young stars. The number attached to that deal is enormous, with incentives capable of pushing it even higher, which is exactly why any discussion around the contract immediately spills beyond simple bookkeeping and into the bigger picture of what San Antonio can build around its franchise centerpiece.
What makes this one worth watching is the idea that there may be some room for flexibility if Wembanyama chooses a path that echoes a recent star example from New York. For the Spurs, that kind of breathing room would not just be about easing the cap sheet in the abstract, but about keeping the door open to a far more ambitious pursuit down the line, one that would have every fan in the building paying attention to the next move. [Read more 🡒]