Despite being among the younger teams in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs made an impressive run in the playoffs. After some heroic displays by Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle, the Spurs even looked like the favorites to win it all. Unfortunately, the Spurs were completely outclassed by the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals.
The loss in the Finals brought key roster issues to light. Although there isn’t much that can be done about the relative inexperience, the team’s performance during minutes without Victor Wembanyama on the court was telling throughout the season.
Even though San Antonio logged a 12-6 record in games without Wembanyama, the fact that their net rating of 9.8 fell to 3.2 in their superstar’s absence is quite concerning. Given that their defensive rating also changed from 110.0 to 116.6 without Wembanyama, the team’s reliance on him is evident.
Thus, in an attempt to support their superstar, the Spurs made a solid move by selecting Jayden Quaintance (No. 20) and trading for Tarris Reed Jr. (No. 26) on draft night.
The Spurs’ center rotation last season featured Luke Kornet, Mason Plumlee, Bismack Biyombo, and Kelly Olynyk behind Wembanyama. Although Kornet is still reliable, the rest were well past their best. On that note, adding Quaintance and Reed Jr. could be immensely promising.
Quaintance is a 6’9″ sophomore big man out of Kentucky. At 253 lbs, the forward positions himself as a strong presence on the interior, primarily acting as an elite rim-protector and rebounder.
Although injuries limited his availability to only four games this season, resulting in averages of 5.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game, the Spurs seem to have acknowledged his potential.
Jayden Quaintance is an elite defensive prospect, but has battled injury…
– 6’9 barefoot + 9’1 standing reach
– Elite, versatile defender
– Transition + lob threat
– Explosive athlete
– Glass cleaner
Could be TERRIFYING with Wemby and Castle 🤫 pic.twitter.com/1EgE0JQVEv
— Dynatyze Basketball (@Dynatyze) June 24, 2026
Reed Jr. is very similar to Quaintance. Although slightly taller at 6’10”, the scouting reports mentioned Reed as a traditional center with immense strength and noteworthy rim protection abilities. While boasting one of the heaviest frames in his draft class at 260 lbs, the UConn product could assert himself as an elite rebounder and shot-blocker.
On paper, Reed appears to be a better prospect than Quaintance, primarily because of his averages of 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game in his junior year. But considering how similar they are, it isn’t difficult to comprehend the Spurs’ plans.
Tarris Reed Jr. is a beast
6’10, 263 lbs with a 7’4 wingspan
Takes over the paint and bullies those in his way. Will make an impact from day 1 for the Spurs while JQ fully recovers from his ACL injury
San Antonio aren’t going to be out rebounded again pic.twitter.com/ug9HuZSrxc
— Zach (@ZachNBA_) June 24, 2026
By loading up on big men, San Antonio seems geared to reinforce its frontcourt, specifically to support Victor Wembanyama.
Needless to say, both Quaintance and Reed Jr. are likely to earn a big role right off the bat. With defensive contributions being the priority, Jayden Quaintance even commented on how he could impact winning for San Antonio on draft night.
“They like to switch a lot. I feel like I’m a very switchable defender,” he stated. “I feel like we are at multiple positions, so I feel like that’s one thing that again will be able to make us stand out… I feel like I can do pretty much everything defensively. I feel like we have a lot of guys on our team who specialize in that area too, so I feel like it’ll be fun.”
On a similar note, Reed Jr. also shared an interesting statement about winning being a skill during a recent interview. He shared:
“It honestly, truly is. And UConn taught me that… It’s the everyday showing up who you’re going to be every day. It’s the every possession. It’s the work that is really unseen. And it comes with unselfishness.”
“There’s no box score for me; there’s no stat that says ‘I got these dudes open.’ But it’s like, this is what you have to do to win,” he added. “So being unselfish, looking at your right, looking at your left, being able to really sacrifice and go to war for your brother.”
No Spurs player can recreate Wembanyama’s impact on both ends of the floor. Still, by adding capable rim protectors and interior players, San Antonio can take some pressure off their superstar and subsequently ensure stability during his absence.
The mindset showcased by San Antonio’s rookies might be the most promising part of this process. With two young big men in the rotation next to Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs could be considerably more threatening next season.
