The Spurs didn’t exactly hand Tarris Reed Jr. a soft landing.
San Antonio used two first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, and Reed’s path looks especially tight. He went 26th overall after the Spurs traded up, while Jayden Quaintance came off the board 20th. Both are oversized, physical frontcourt players, but their timelines couldn’t be more different.
Quaintance is the younger, more projectable swing, though a torn ACL is expected to keep him out for most - or all - of his rookie season. Reed, meanwhile, arrives healthy and ready to compete right away. That also means he has less runway to make a case for himself.
Reed’s profile is built on strength, rebounding, and dependable interior work. He spent four seasons in college and comes into the league as a more polished, old-school center. At 23 years old, he’s already one of the older rookies in the class, which makes the pressure a little sharper from day one.
The Spurs’ center situation also frames the challenge. Right now, Reed, Victor Wembanyama, and Luke Kornet are the only real centers on the roster.
The expectation is that Reed opens as the third-string option behind Kornet, though that doesn’t mean he won’t get chances to play. It just doesn’t look like a path to a long-term starting role.
Wembanyama has that spot locked down.
Benjamin Yu of Last Word on Sports pointed to Reed’s physical tools, but also flagged the concern that could define his first year. "He is talented in multiple areas of the game, and his physicality is at an NBA level," wrote Benjamin Yu for Last Word on Sports.
"However, one area that isn’t the best is Reed’s level of athleticism, as he is not the most explosive center. That lack of vertical athleticism may limit his potential as a rim protector and finisher, which would significantly hinder his impact."
That doesn’t make Reed a lost cause. Plenty of useful NBA centers have made careers without elite burst, including Kornet, Ivica Zubac, Steven Adams, and Jakob Poeltl. The common thread is that they’ve all found other ways to matter.
For Reed, the assignment is pretty clear. "Reed’s main expectation for his rookie year is to prove his athleticism won’t be an issue," Yu added.
"If he can do that, Reed will likely have a spot in the rotation long-term and can immediately contribute as a third-string big behind Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. If not, then it will be difficult for Reed to find playing time due to his advanced age as a rookie and underwhelming performance."
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Have A Tobias Harris Question That Actually Matters
Tobias Harris landed in San Antonio on a two-year, $31 million deal in July, giving the Spurs another veteran forward to plug into a roster trying to make the most of its recent run to the NBA Finals. At 34, Harris arrives after two seasons with Detroit, where he remained a steady scoring and rebounding presence and posted averages of 13.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 2.5 assists last season.
The fit matters because the Spurs are no longer just collecting talent around Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, they are trying to shape a rotation that can hold up in real games. Harris is expected to be part of that mix, and early offseason work has already started to show how the new pieces are being blended together, with the Spurs keeping a close eye on how a veteran like Harris meshes with familiar names and a group still figuring out its pecking order. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Rookie Fit Next To Wemby Suddenly Carries One Big Concern
Jayden Quaintance arrived with the kind of tools that can make Spurs fans dream about a long-term frontcourt pairing next to Victor Wembanyama. He is widely viewed as a promising defender with real athletic upside, and his profile makes sense for a team that always wants length, activity and switchability around its star. Even with the setbacks that have already followed him, the idea of what he could become in San Antonio is still easy to see.
The concern now is less about the fit and more about the timeline. Quaintance is expected to miss extended time this season because of knee injuries, which clouds when he can actually start building that case on the floor. And while the defensive potential is there, his offensive game remains a work in progress, so his eventual impact will depend not just on getting healthy, but on how much development he can show once he finally gets a run of consistent basketball. [Read more 🡒]
De'Aaron Fox Faces One Spurs Question That Could Change Everything
De'Aaron Fox arrives in San Antonio with the kind of reputation that can still shape a team's plans long after the headline move is over. The Spurs see him as part of their guard rotation and, for now, there is no expectation that they would move him during the season, especially with his contract situation and the reality that teams around the league are not exactly lining up to chase him right now.
The more interesting question is what happens if Fox looks more like himself again. A stronger stretch could change the way he is viewed, both inside the building and on the trade market, giving the Spurs a different kind of flexibility down the road. For now, the path is simple enough: keep him in place, let him settle in, and see whether his play starts creating options that do not exist today. [Read more 🡒]