Tobias Harris might be San Antonio’s best new tool for speeding up Carter Bryant’s development.
The Spurs brought in the veteran forward as their big free-agent addition, and the fit goes beyond what Harris can give them on the floor. For Bryant, one of the team’s most promising young wings, Harris could end up serving as the kind of steady example that helps a player turn flashes into something much more complete.
Harris and Harrison Barnes don’t play exactly like Bryant, but both veterans bring something valuable to the table: real NBA mileage. Each has at least 14 years in the league, and Harris has 15.
Add in the fact that he’s bounced through more than half a dozen NBA stops, and he’s had to keep adjusting to survive. That kind of adaptability is the lesson Bryant can use.
The Spurs are clearly hoping Bryant makes a meaningful jump this season, and Harris could help guide that process. He’s become the type of veteran who still gives you useful minutes, and he showed that last year with Detroit. Harris started for a 60-win Pistons team, and even when the playoffs got rough, he still finished second on the team in scoring during the postseason.
That’s the kind of player who understands how to stay ready no matter the assignment. Start, come off the bench, handle a bigger workload or a smaller one - Harris has done it all and found ways to contribute.
For Bryant, that’s no small thing. His role won’t always look the same, and learning how to adjust without losing effectiveness is a big part of sticking on the floor.
Bryant already got a glimpse of that reality last season. He appeared in 71 games, but averaged only 11.5 minutes a night. San Antonio liked him enough to play him as a rookie, but not enough to hand him a permanent rotation spot.
This year, the road looks similar. He’s expected to be behind Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson, though he should still see spot minutes at both small forward and power forward. Those minutes matter, and making them count will be a major piece of his next step.
Where Harris may help most is on offense. Bryant is already ahead of the curve defensively, but his scoring game still has plenty of unfinished edges. He shot well from three last season, but he struggled badly finishing around the basket and didn’t really have a go-to move.
That’s where Harris makes sense as a mentor. He’s the kind of offensive player who has stayed in the league by being dependable, and there’s plenty Bryant can take from that. Learning how to get to his spots, how to work veteran tricks to draw fouls, and how to position himself better when he’s away from the ball could all matter.
There was already a small hint of that in the first preseason game, when Bryant looked more aggressive offensively. He even put the ball on the floor and dribbled into a pull-up midrange jumper. Whether that came from working with Harris isn’t clear.
Still, Harris ranked among the NBA’s best mid-range shooters last season, and that’s a useful skill set for Bryant to study. If Harris can pass along even a few of those offensive habits, the Spurs may get more out of one of their top young players while also adding a useful power forward rotation piece.
It’s a clean setup for both sides: Harris gives San Antonio depth and experience, and Bryant gets a veteran who can help push his game toward a more complete shape.
In Other News...
Spurs Face A De'Aaron Fox Dilemma That Could Free Their Young Backcourt
A recent trade idea has put the Spurs in an interesting spot around DeAaron Fox, with the discussion centered less on what he has already done in San Antonio and more on how his presence shapes the rest of the roster. Bleacher Reports Greg Swartz floated a scenario involving Houston that would reshape both teams, and from the Spurs side it raises a familiar question for a rebuilding club: how much should fit matter when the long-term picture is still coming into focus?
For San Antonio, the bigger appeal may be what opens up behind Fox. A move like this would clear a path for Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle to share the backcourt, giving the Spurs a chance to lean further into their younger guards. It remains strictly speculative, and there is no indication either team is lining up to make it happen, but it is the sort of idea that naturally lingers because it speaks directly to the Spurs next phase. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Opening Lineup Comes With One Immediate Problem Fans Can See
San Antonio has not yet gotten a look at the starting group it had in mind, with De'Aaron Fox sidelined by soreness and tightness keeping the intended lineup on hold. Even before a minute is played together, the unit stands out for its lack of size, a trait that could matter against bigger frontcourts and teams built to punish the glass, like Oklahoma City.
Tobias Harris is the one player in the mix who can help address that issue once he is fully back from a left calf strain. His presence would give the Spurs more rebounding and a little more size to work with, but for now the question is whether he is ready to be part of the answer when the season opens. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Suddenly Need De'Aaron Fox For More Than Just Preseason Minutes
The Spurs have opened preseason with a pair of losses, even with Dylan Harper giving them reason to pay attention in both games. San Antonio has other established pieces in place already, with Keldon Johnson, Devin Vassell and Victor Wembanyama set in their roles, so the point guard spot remains the most interesting battle on the roster as the team sorts out its backcourt.
De'Aaron Fox's return to the starting lineup is now expected to matter for more than just getting him back into game shape. The Spurs need a little more edge and urgency in these exhibition games, and Fox brings a level of competitiveness that can sharpen the group while the staff evaluates how the guard rotation should settle. For now, he and Harper are the two names to watch as San Antonio decides what the pecking order looks like. [Read more 🡒]