San Antonio Spurs Round Out 2026 Rookie Class with Ja'Kobi Gillespie, Maliq Brown

SAN ANTONIO — Two days and four picks later, the San Antonio Spurs have clear direction.

After selecting Kentucky center Jayden Quaintance with the No. 20 overall pick on Tuesday and acquiring UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr. in a trade later that evening, the San Antonio Spurs rounded out their 2026 NBA Draft class on Thursday by selecting Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie with pick No. 42 and Duke forward Maliq Brown with pick No. 44.

The additions complete a rookie class built around size, defensive versatility and — beside Quaintance, who once held the title of the youngest NCAA player — experience.

Quaintance, the youngest member of the group at 18 years old, joins Reed, Gillespie and Brown, all 22, as San Antonio continues to surround a young core of Victor Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, Stephon Castle and De'Aaron Fox with complementary talent.

"I've always said the guys on the court will dictate how fast we go," Wright said. "They drove really fast this year ... and we're proud of that. It was obviously a great season. A lot to learn and grow from. I know the guys will take that into the summer and continue to improve."

Gillespie arrives after a breakout season at Tennessee, averaging 18.4 points and 5.4 assists while shooting 41 percent from 3 as an undersized guard. Asked about navigating the game knowing his physical limitations, the rookie layed it out.

"Athleticism," he said. "Being strong and having heart. I’ve always been the smallest player (on the court). Growing up like that prepared me to play at the highest level.”

Mar 27, 2026; Washington, DC, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Maliq Brown (6) shoots the ball against St. John's Red Storm forward Zuby Ejiofor (24) in the first half during a Sweet Sixteen game of the East Regional of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Capital One Arena. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Brown, meanwhile, established himself as one of the ACC's premier defensive forwards, averaging 4.9 points and 5.2 rebounds for a Duke team that reached the Final Four.

"What I'm looking forward to achieving in my rookie year is just figuring out my role," Brown said. "Just doing whatever I can to help the team ... in as many ways as possible."

The Spurs also reinforced their frontcourt depth during the opening night of the draft.

Quaintance, a 6-foot-10 center with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, was limited to just four games during his lone season at Kentucky. Reed, meanwhile, gives San Antonio another physical interior presence after averaging 14.7 points, nine rebounds and two blocks last season.

Neither rookie expects individual accolades to define their NBA careers.

"I'm not coming here to be no superstar," Reed said shortly after being drafted. "I'm coming here to do my job and do what is asked of me ... to the best of my abilities."

Per the #Spurs’ Instagram, here is a first look at Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. in team threads. #PorVida pic.twitter.com/I2OSyKIoVV
— Matt Guzman (@mattgzman) June 25, 2026

Quaintance echoed a similar mindset, pointing to San Antonio's defensive identity as one of the reasons he believes he'll fit immediately.

"They like to switch a lot," Quaintance said. "I'm a very sociable defender. I can guard multiple positions ... that's one thing that will be able to make us stand out."

Together, the four selections address several of the Spurs' offseason priorities, most notably in the frontcourt next to Luke Kornet and behind Wembanyama.

Reed, Quaintance will sign rookie scale contracts in the coming weeks, while Brown, Gillespie will likely join a pool of David Jones Garcia, Harrison Ingram, Emanuel Miller and the rest of the Spurs' Summer League roster, not yet announced, vying for three two-way contracts.

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