5 Beyond Wemby: How Helpful Will Rookie Tarris Reed Jr. be for Spurs' Frontcourt?

SAN ANTONIO — Tarris Reed Jr. couldn't help but laugh at the irony.

In the days leading up to Summer League, the 23-year-old found himself learning the ropes at Victory Capital Performance Center from Carter Bryant, who won't turn 21 until August.

"I'm older than this dude, and he's in the league," Reed said with a smile.

Age, however, only goes so far.

Bryant already had an NBA season under his belt — one that ended with a trip to the NBA Finals — when the San Antonio Spurs acquired Reed's draft rights this summer. That made him a resource for Reed as the latter prepared for his first taste of professional basketball.

"(I'm) just talking to him about little tricks," Reed began, "little tips he can give me playing basketball at this level, especially in the NBA, when you learn this first year in the league. I mean, he's young. But it's good having young guys being able to lead, step up."

San Antonio Spurs center Tarris Reed Jr. (10) shoots a free throw in the first half against the Miami Heat in the California — Jul 3, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tarris Reed Jr. (10) shoots a free throw in the first half against the Miami Heat at the California Classic at Chase Center. | Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Spurs.

Reed might be older than some of his new teammates, but he understands where he stands entering his first NBA season. The Spurs acquired his draft rights from the Denver Nuggets after he was selected No. 26 overall, adding another body to their frontcourt.

Between Reed and No. 20 pick Jayden Quaintance, San Antonio addressed its need for size behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet. Reed, however, entered the summer with little concern about establishing himself as another featured scorer.

"I'm not coming here to be no superstar," Reed said after being drafted. "I'm coming here to do what is asked of me. Whatever it is, (I'm going to) do it to the best of my abilities."

Reed averaged 14.7 points, nine rebounds and two blocks on 60 percent shooting during his final season at UConn, helping the Huskies reach the national championship game. His postseason included a 30-point, 25-rebound performance in the opening round, the first such NCAA Tournament game since Elvin Hayes in 1968.

San Antonio won't need that kind of production. During Summer League, Reed instead focused on the traits most likely to earn him minutes on an incredibly deep roster.

"What the team needs," Reed said, "and what's going to be required of me down the road is just physical screening, rebounding (and) defensive presence."

His rebounding translated almost immediately. Across games in San Francisco and Las Vegas, Reed averaged nine points and nine rebounds in 24.3 minutes per game, with the latter figure ranking seventh among Summer League players.

For San Antonio, that offered an early glimpse at how Reed could contribute without needing the ball. Creating second possessions, setting physical screens and providing energy around the basket could be enough to earn him opportunities.

"Whatever the coach, whatever the guys need me to do, I'm going to do," Reed said. "Just being selfless and relentless ... being gritty, physical. Things that I do pretty well."

Summer Spurs coach Corliss Williamson shared a similar vision.

"Whether it's a hard two minutes or a hard five minutes," Williamson said, "Give us everything you have. I think he's going to bring some physicality that we need."

June 25, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; San Antonio Spurs center Tarris Reed Jr. (10) poses for a photo after his introductory rookie press conference at Victory Capital Performance Center. | Photo via @spurs on X, formerly Twitter

Finding those minutes could be Reed's biggest challenge. Wembanyama remains the centerpiece of San Antonio's frontcourt, while Kornet gives Mitch Johnson an established option behind him. Quaintance also figures into the team's plans, though his continued recovery from a torn right ACL and meniscus could create an early opportunity.

Reed will have adjustments of his own to make. During Summer League, he pointed to operating with the additional space of an NBA floor as one of the biggest, but remained confident that familiarity would come with experience. And with more team chemistry.

There may be nights when Reed is outside Johnson's rotation entirely, and others when five physical minutes, a few rebounds and a hard screen are all the Spurs need from him.

For now, that appears to suit him just fine.

"(I want to) get my feet wet," Reed said prior to suiting up for Summer League. "Not putting too much pressure and expectations on myself. I'll play hard, and live with the result."

Reed doesn't need a large role to make himself useful. If his rebounding and physicality translate beyond Summer League, the Spurs may have found another frontcourt option who already understands exactly what they're asking him to be.

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