The Spurs don’t need to wait until draft season to start circling names for 2027, and one in-state sleeper is already worth a hard look: Houston big man Delrecco Gillespie.
Gillespie is headed into his senior year with the Cougars after transferring from Kent State, and the move gives him a bigger stage to show what he can do. At 6’8”, he fits the mold of a rugged combo big, the kind of player who doesn’t need a ton of polish to make his presence felt. Right now, he’s still flying under the radar, but that could change quickly once he gets a run in the Big 12.
His numbers from 2025-26 tell you why scouts are paying attention. Gillespie averaged 17.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks while shooting 50.8/27.0/78.9. He also piled up 22 double doubles, tying Cameron Boozer and Hannes Steinbach, both 2026 first-round picks, for the most in the nation.
The appeal goes beyond the stat line. Gillespie does a lot of his damage around the paint and elbow area, and post-ups were his most common offensive weapon last season. He had 155 post-up possessions and produced 0.95 points per possession in those situations, according to Synergy.
He isn’t just a brute-force scorer, though. Gillespie works methodically with his backdowns, and he’ll sometimes settle for difficult mid-range looks and hooks that don’t always fall.
But when he turns it up and attacks, he has the strength to bully defenders and finish through contact. His frame can overwhelm opponents, and that helps get him to the free throw line frequently.
On the other end, there’s plenty to like too. Kent State used him as a hedging big in ball-screen coverage, and he showed he could pressure ballhandlers, force turnovers, get back to the roll man, and block shots with authority.
That blend of physicality and defensive activity is what makes him interesting. Gillespie plays a hard-nosed style that fits winning basketball, and Houston should benefit from that immediately.
For San Antonio, the fit is easy to see. The Spurs already added Jayden Quaintance, Tarris Reed Jr., and Maliq Brown in the 2026 draft, but another swing on toughness and interior versatility would make sense, especially in the second round or as an undrafted free agent. Gillespie checks those boxes.
He also has another point in his favor: he spent plenty of time in double-big lineups at Kent State. In theory, that could translate alongside Victor Wembanyama or another Spurs center.
There’s still a lot of runway between now and the 2027 NBA Draft, and Gillespie still has to prove he can handle the jump in competition at Houston. If he does, he’ll force his way onto more boards. And if that happens, San Antonio should be ready to take a serious look.
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