The San Antonio Spurs have a straightforward problem and a less conventional solution: if they want Carter Bryant on the floor, the cleanest path may be asking the 6-foot-6 forward to back up Victor Wembanyama at center.
That’s not the role most people would circle for a rookie listed as a power forward. But the Spurs’ roster makes the fit more practical than it sounds. Tobias Harris arrived this summer, and with Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson already taking up forward minutes, head coach Mitch Johnson may have to get creative to find Bryant a real lane.
The answer could be small-ball. When Wemby sits, San Antonio can go five-out and use Bryant as the nominal five.
He has the size at 220 pounds, plus the athleticism and versatility to handle the job in certain matchups. Bryant was even open to that kind of role last season, and the Spurs could use it to solve more than one issue at once.
His shooting is part of the equation. Bryant hit 33.5 percent from 3-point range last season, then climbed to 35.1 percent after the All-Star break.
The rookie needed time to adjust to the NBA, and the expectation is that he should become an above-average shooter soon. That matters if the Spurs want him functioning in a five-out setup.
San Antonio also has a clear template for what it needs from a small-ball center. It is not about piling up stats.
It is about defending, moving the ball and creating for others, the kind of impact associated with prime Draymond Green. Champagnie and Vassell are too small for that job, while Keldon Johnson and Harris don’t really fit it either.
Harrison Barnes is the only other option mentioned, and he is already declining and has never been able to do it consistently.
Bryant’s case is built on opportunity as much as skill. He played only 11.5 minutes per game across 71 contests last season, and the 20-year-old needs a role that lets him grow. The Spurs drafted him 14th overall in 2025 because they believe in what he can become, even while trying to chase a championship with Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox leading the way.
That push and pull is already part of the roster conversation. Mitch Johnson is expected to keep veterans like Harris and Keldon ahead of Bryant in the pecking order, and Bryant may have to move past Barnes just to get in the mix. Even then, there may not be enough room unless he earns it by doing the little things: making shots, rebounding and proving he’s the better second-unit answer than Luke Kornet.
Kornet is a solid backup big. He rebounds, protects the rim and gives the Spurs a traditional center option.
But the fit can break down when opponents drag him away from the basket. Speed and athleticism are issues, and teams that force him onto the perimeter can create problems.
The Thunder and Knicks took control of the minutes with Kornet on the floor in the final two rounds of last season’s playoffs.
That is where Bryant’s path opens up. The Spurs have about 18 minutes behind Wembanyama that someone needs to claim, and Bryant can use those minutes to sharpen his jumper, improve on the glass and round out his game. In the right matchups, he would be the nominal five anyway, facing another power forward rather than a true center.
For San Antonio, that makes Bryant as a small-ball center less like a novelty and more like a practical fix. It gets him on the floor, helps the Spurs navigate certain matchups and gives them a way to squeeze value out of a former lottery pick while trying to contend.
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For Spurs fans, its another reminder of how far things have shifted since his early days in the league. Parma, based in Perm and a regular in the VTB United League, is coming off a 22-18 season, and Primos move there gives him a chance to rebuild his career in a new setting with some longer-term flexibility built into the arrangement. [Read more 🡒]