Carter Bryant is only heading into his second NBA season in 2026-27, but around the Spurs, he’s already being treated like one of the older heads.
That’s a little unusual on paper. Bryant is still one of the youngest players on the roster, yet to incoming rookies like Tarris Reed Jr., he’s already someone worth leaning on. Reed, who spent three seasons between Michigan and UConn before landing in San Antonio, arrived in the league after Bryant and is now the one looking up to him for guidance.
Bryant’s rookie year gave him plenty to work with. He flashed on defense, had some rough patches, and got treated to the kind of hard lessons head coach Mitch Johnson could turn into teaching moments.
He also logged meaningful minutes during the Spurs’ run to the NBA Finals, holding his own against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the New York Knicks. That experience has put him in position to help the new guys.
Reed, Jayden Quaintance, Ja'Kobi Gillespie, and Maliq Brown all stand to benefit from Bryant’s perspective. Three of those four are older than him, but age doesn’t carry nearly as much weight as NBA reps do.
“He's young. It's crazy.
I'm older than this dude, and he's been in the league a year. Just talking to him about little tricks he can give me playing basketball at this level...
It's good having young guys being able to lead and step up,” Reed said ahead of the Spurs' Summer League campaign.
For a team built around youth, Bryant stepping into that kind of role this early matters. It’s another sign that, even after the loss in the NBA Finals, the Spurs’ young core is moving in the right direction.
In Other News...
Spurs Suddenly Find Themselves In A Frustrating Knicks Free Agency Fight
The backup-center market has become a small but meaningful subplot for San Antonio as the offseason unfolds. The Spurs are looking for more certainty behind their frontcourt rotation, and Luke Kornet is part of the conversation as the team weighs whether it needs a real upgrade or can lean on younger internal options to handle the job.
New York is in the same search, only with a little more urgency attached to it. The Knicks have a glaring hole behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and the lack of a current backup center on the roster has put them in the same lane as San Antonio, even if the Spurs have more flexibility thanks to a handful of recent draft picks who could step into the mix. [Read more 🡒]
Billy Donovan Just Sent Bulls Fans A Brutal Final Message
Billy Donovans next stop is a long way from the spotlight he occupied in Chicago. After stepping down as Bulls head coach in April, Donovan is heading to San Antonio to join Mitch Johnsons staff, marking a rare return to the assistant ranks for the first time in more than 30 years. It is a notable shift for a veteran coach who has spent most of his career running the show, and it gives the Spurs another experienced voice as they continue building around Johnson.
The move also closes the door on any lingering idea of Donovan resurfacing in Chicago after his departure. He left the Bulls following discussions with ownership and did not return, and now he is stepping into the role previously held by Sean Sweeney on Johnsons staff. For San Antonio, it is a significant addition to the bench. For Bulls fans, it is the final reminder that Donovans chapter there has ended for good. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Still Have One Roster Problem Tobias Harris Didnt Solve
Tobias Harris gave the Spurs the kind of depth and lineup flexibility they wanted when they brought him in, but his arrival did not close every hole on the roster. San Antonio still has work to do in the frontcourt, where Victor Wembanyama is locked in as the starter and the team needs a dependable backup center to help absorb the regular-season load.
Luke Kornets playoff stint made the issue harder to ignore, and the Spurs still have two open roster spots to work with as they sort through the next move. Whether they lean toward a veteran, a younger option or another route entirely, the need is clear: Wembanyama cannot be asked to carry every minute at center, and San Antonio still has to find the right big man to spell him. [Read more 🡒]