San Antonio’s Summer League roster is already giving fans a look at one of the team’s biggest draft-night bets, and Tarris Reed Jr. may end up being the more immediate answer to a problem that hurt the Spurs last season.
That problem was center depth. Behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, San Antonio never found a dependable third big, and the issue became more obvious when Wembanyama missed 18 games and Kornet missed 14. Rather than chase a veteran in free agency, the Spurs turned to the draft and added Jayden Quaintance and Reed Jr., a move that could look bold in the best possible way if it works.
Quaintance was the bigger swing. If he had been healthy earlier in the draft process, he likely would have gone in the lottery because of his age, length, athleticism, and defensive upside.
He’s on the roster now, but whether he plays at all as a rookie remains uncertain. Reed Jr., meanwhile, is already getting live reps and could carve out a real role right away.
Even with some rust showing in Summer League, Reed Jr. has flashed the kind of traits San Antonio tends to value in a center. He sets physical screens, which matters for a team that has seen Wembanyama struggle in that area. He rebounds, he passes, and he can score around the basket, whether that’s through post-ups or by finishing at the rim with a soft touch.
That profile fits the Spurs’ history. This is a franchise that has long leaned on bigs who do the dirty work: hard screens, rebounds, and reliable minutes. Tiago Splitter, Aaron Baynes, Nazr Mohammed, Jakob Poeltl, and Drew Eubanks all found roles by bringing that kind of game.
The hope is that Reed Jr. can follow that path behind Wembanyama and Kornet, with the possibility that he eventually pushes for Kornet’s spot. San Antonio’s decision to trade up for him on draft night says plenty about how the organization views him, especially after already taking a center in the draft.
Quaintance may have the higher ceiling, but Reed Jr. looks like the safer bet, and right now he’s giving Spurs fans a first-hand look at why.
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Spurs Fans May Have Finally Found The Rookie They Wanted
San Antonios first-round addition is drawing attention for all the right reasons, and not because he is arriving with a scoring-heavy reputation. Tarris Reed Jr. sounds ready to lean into the kind of role Spurs fans have long appreciated from their big men: defend, rebound, set hard screens and bring a physical edge every time he steps on the floor. In his first comments, Reed made clear he is comfortable doing the dirty work and letting effort, toughness and consistency define his early place in the rotation.
There is also a certain Spurs-specific appeal in the way Reed talks about the job ahead, with respect for the franchises standard and a willingness to earn everything that comes next. He has already begun taking in the culture around him, and the next part of the adjustment will be turning that mindset into real minutes and real impact. For a team that values discipline and detail, Reeds approach gives them a rookie who sounds built for the unglamorous parts of winning. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Are Waiting For Carter Bryant To Show Something Bigger
After his rookie season, Carter Bryant came back to the Spurs Summer League group with a chance to do more than just get extra reps. San Antonio wants him using this stretch to grow into a steadier presence, and coach Corliss Williamson has been clear that the next step is not only about talent, but about becoming more vocal and more reliable as the game speeds up around him.
Bryants development is still being treated as a longer-term project, even as the Spurs expect his role to expand next season. For now, the focus is on sharpening the parts of his game that can help him command more trust, especially in live action where decision-making and tone-setting matter as much as the shots he takes. [Read more 🡒]