Devin Vassell doesn’t sound like he’s guessing when it comes to Tarris Reed Jr. He sounds like he’s already seen enough.
The Spurs wing has been raving about the rookie’s work on the glass during preseason, and he’s even given Reed a fitting nickname.
“Oh, man, that's a monster right there… I call him a walking 10 boards. As soon as he gets in the game, I feel like he's getting 10 boards,” Vassell said of Reed Jr., per Tom Orsborn.
That kind of talk usually comes after a player has flashed once or twice. Reed has done more than that. The 23-year-old turned heads with a 17-rebound, four-steal outing against the Utah Jazz on Oct. 12, then backed it up against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday with four points, nine rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.
Reed’s path to San Antonio came through draft-night movement. The Denver Nuggets picked him No. 26 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, then sent him to the Spurs in a deal that brought back the No. 35 pick and two second-rounders.
For now, the Spurs’ frontcourt hierarchy starts with Victor Wembanyama as the clear starter and Luke Kornet as the main backup. But with the team expected to keep Wemby’s minutes in check over the course of the regular season, there should be room for another big to step in.
That third spot appears to be a battle between Reed and Jayden Quaintance, whom San Antonio took No. 20. Quaintance is still out after a knee procedure in July, and that absence has given Reed a chance to separate himself with the kind of preseason production that has clearly caught the attention of his teammates.
In Other News...
Mavericks Make Another Early Camp Cut As Roster Decisions Begin
Training camp decisions are starting to take shape around the league, and there has been movement that matters for teams trying to sort out the edges of their roster. The New Orleans Pelicans brought back center Hunter Dickinson on a non-guaranteed camp contract with Exhibit 10 language after waiving him from a two-way deal in August, while the Spurs added Kendall Brown on a training camp agreement and the Kings signed David Muoka on a similar one.
For San Antonio, the Brown addition fits into the broader early-camp churn that always comes with this part of the calendar, when teams are testing depth and looking for low-risk evaluations. Elsewhere in the West, the Mavericks have already started trimming their own group by requesting waivers on Jorge Diaz Graham after his recent preseason appearance, a reminder that more roster moves are likely to follow as camp jobs get sorted out. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Have More Riding On This Season Than Ever
The Western Conference is shaping up to be a moving target, and the Spurs are right in the middle of it. With Minnesota shaking up its roster, the Lakers resetting around Luka Doncic after LeBron James departure, and plenty of eyes on a crowded race of rising teams, San Antonio suddenly feels like a club with a lot more to prove than just progress. Even the Spurs coaching setup is part of the conversation, with Billy Donovan in the lead assistant role as the organization tries to turn its promise into something sturdier.
There is plenty of league-wide noise around individual breakouts and title expectations, from Cooper Flaggs All-NBA buzz to the possibility of Doncic chasing the scoring crown, but the Spurs own path may be the most interesting of all. The sense around the West is that Oklahoma City and San Antonio could be among the regular-season powers, yet the bigger question is whether that kind of rise actually translates when the games get tighter and the stakes get higher. For the Spurs, this season is starting to feel less like another step forward and more like a test of how real the climb actually is. [Read more 🡒]
Reggie Miller Sees A Rockets Threat The West Can't Ignore
Western Conference rosters have been in constant motion, and the ripple effect matters in San Antonio as much as anywhere else. Minnesota added LaMelo Ball, the Lakers brought in Walker Kessler, and Denver landed DeMar DeRozan, a reminder that the West keeps stacking talent in all the usual places while trying to keep pace with the top of the bracket.
Among the teams drawing the most attention is Houston, where the young core has been bolstered by the additions of Fred VanVleet and Marcus Smart. Reggie Miller pointed to the Rockets as a team worth watching in the upcoming season, and they open 2026-27 against Dallas on Oct. 21, a first-night test that could quickly show whether this group is ready to turn offseason buzz into something more. [Read more 🡒]