Tarris Reed Jr. is going to matter for the Spurs this season, and the reason is simple: the league keeps getting bigger around them.
San Antonio spent last year getting tested by teams that wanted to bully them in the paint, and that pushback isn’t going away. If anything, the West spent the offseason adding more muscle.
Oklahoma City and Houston both showed that trend in preseason action Thursday night, with the Thunder leaning into double-big looks and the Rockets set to keep rolling out physical frontcourt combinations behind Alperen Sengun, Steven Adams or Clint Capela. That’s the kind of basketball Ime Udoka wants, with physicality, trash talk and pressure baked into the plan.
The Spurs just saw a preview of that approach against a new-look Jazz group that had Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Jaxson Hayes on the floor together. Utah has been mentioned by several as a sleeper, and the broader point is hard to miss: there could be a few teams like that around the conference. With the new draft lottery rules making tanking less appealing, more clubs are trying to win size-on-size battles instead of punting the season.
That’s where Reed comes in. The Spurs are built to handle teams that want to run and switch everything, but they also need someone who can answer the bruisers.
Reed is that counter. Luke Kornet remains a useful backup, but the source of this story makes clear he hasn’t shown the same board control Reed can bring.
Kornet played in 68 games last season and only hit double-digit rebounds six times.
Reed could get there more often, and maybe quickly, if he’s on the floor enough. That’s the key for Mitch Johnson. Preseason can sharpen a player, but it doesn’t fully prepare him for the grind of real regular-season matchups against Adams or Hartenstein, especially in hostile buildings where every possession gets squeezed.
The Spurs don’t need Reed ready for April just because he looked good in October. They need him seasoned before the moment arrives when Johnson has to call on him for the heavy lifting.
In a season where opponents will keep coming with size, the Bat Signal is going to go up. Reed has to be ready when it does.
In Other News...
Spurs Lineup Experiment Has One Clear Threat To Its Upside
The Spurs are trying something a little different with a starting group built around point guards, and the early shape of it makes one thing immediately clear: the whole idea only works if the perimeter shot comes around. San Antonio has leaned into the creativity and ball-handling that DeAaron Fox, Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle can bring, but the spacing has to hold up for that lineup to function the way the coaching staff wants it to.
Preseason numbers offer a mixed read on that front, which is why the experiment feels both intriguing and fragile at the same time. There is also the practical issue of how the Spurs hold up on the glass against bigger teams, and Mitch Johnson has already left himself room to adjust if the look starts creating more problems than it solves. [Read more 🡒]
Sixers Center Depth Just Took A Very Unusual Turn
Victor Wembanyama has owned the title of NBAs tallest player, but that distinction is headed for a change in the 2026-27 season with Tacko Fall back in the league on a two-way contract with the Philadelphia 76ers. Fall, listed at 7-foot-6, is part of a strange little wave of giant reinforcements across the league, with rookie Aday Mara landing in Oklahoma City at 7-3 and Zach Edey set to return for Memphis after injury.
For the Spurs, it is another reminder of just how rare Wembanyama is, even in a league that keeps finding new ways to stockpile size. Jamarion Sharp, who measures 7-5, was waived by Toronto and could wind up in the G League, so the coming season still has room for more height drama, even if the spotlight on the tallest player in the sport is about to shift. [Read more 🡒]
Spurs Just Sent A Strong Early Message About Building Around Wemby
The Spurs are already signaling how they want to frame this season around Victor Wembanyama, and the early answer is a fast, versatile lineup that puts a lot of ballhandling and creation around him. Mitch Johnson confirmed he plans to open with DeAaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper together with Devin Vassell and Wembanyama, a five-man group that gives San Antonio another look at how its newest pieces fit alongside its franchise centerpiece. The alignment is not entirely new, either, after the Spurs used it in a win over Phoenix and got a glimpse of how much pace and pressure it can create.
There are still moving parts behind the scenes, starting with Fox, who said he played through a high ankle sprain during the playoffs, and Keldon Johnson, who said he dropped weight and feels better physically after a productive summer. Those details matter because the Spurs are not just trying to stack talent, they are trying to build something sustainable around Wembanyama, and the opener will offer the first real read on how far this group can go when the games count. [Read more 🡒]