The San Antonio Spurs have built a legendary reputation around their infallible drafting history. From unearthing generational icons to discovering late-round gems, the front office is typically considered the gold standard of talent evaluation. However, every franchise is allowed an off-night, and recent history suggests the Spurs may have stumbled down a dangerous path.
Following the 2026 NBA Draft, questions are swirling across Texas regarding San Antonio’s strategy in the late first round. By targeting two high-uncertainty frontcourt prospects in the 20s, the front office has drawn an unsettling parallel to their disastrous 2022 draft class—a misstep that saw Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley wash out of San Antonio in just three short years before being unceremoniously dumped onto the Washington Wizards.
The Ghost of 2022: When First-Round Picks Go Wrong
To understand the anxiety surrounding the Spurs’ newest arrivals, one only has to look back at the 2022 draft. That year, San Antonio held three first-round picks, including the ninth overall selection, which they used on Jeremy Sochan. While Sochan flashed moments of utility, his ceiling ultimately stalled, leading to his departure during his fourth season.
Worse still were the selections in the 20s, where the Spurs rolled the dice on Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley. Both wing prospects entered the league with glaring question marks regarding their shooting efficiency, physical strength, and offensive consistency. Those flaws were never ironed out, turning a draft night that once held immense promise into a complete washout that the franchise would desperately love to erase from history.
Fast-forward to 2026, and the Spurs have once again taken two bites at the apple in the late first round, selecting big men Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed Jr. But with high-risk profiles comes the lingering fear that history is about to repeat itself.
Jayden Quaintance: High Defensive Upside, Massive Red Flags
The first of the Spurs’ risky 2026 gambles is Jayden Quaintance. While the 19-year-old boasts undeniable defensive upside and immense physical tools, his journey begins under a towering dark cloud of medical and offensive concerns.
Quaintance was limited to just four games last season due to a severe ACL injury, raising immediate red flags over whether he will even be healthy enough to suit up for his rookie training camp. At 6’10”, he profiles positionally as an NBA center, yet his frame resembles more of a modern four, leaving scouts wondering how he will handle the physical pounding of the paint against elite heavyweights.
Furthermore, his offensive game remains raw. Quaintance struggles mightily with his jumper, mirroring the exact kind of perimeter inefficiency that plagued players like Blake Wesley back in 2022. If a big man cannot reliably stretch the floor or finish consistently above the rim, his defensive utility can only carry him so far in a modern NBA spacing-heavy ecosystem.
Tarris Reed Jr.: Can He Avoid the Goga Bitadze Trap?
The second late-first-round arrival, Tarris Reed Jr., enters San Antonio with a different set of hurdles to clear. Standing at 6’11” with traditional strength, Reed has the physical tools to bang down low, but questions linger regarding his overall athleticism and defensive versatility.
While Blake Wesley entered the league as a plus-defender whose offense needed a miracle, Reed’s trajectory is effectively inverted. He possesses scoring touch and size, but his defensive footwork must undergo a dramatic evolution if he hopes to carve out a permanent home in an NBA rotation. Skeptics have already whispered comparisons to Goga Bitadze rather than an elite modern playmaker like Alperen Şengün.
Compounding the pressure is the reality of playing in San Antonio. With generational phenom Victor Wembanyama anchoring the center position, Reed will not be handed a starting role. As a 23-year-old rookie thrust into a backup capacity, the margin for error is razor-thin. Lacking confidence or struggling out of the gate could quickly land him on the chopping block.
The Brutal Reality of Drafting in the 20s
History dictates that finding a franchise cornerstone in the late first round is an uphill battle. Statistical breakdowns of drafts from recent years reveal that a staggering majority of players selected between picks 20 and 29 are entirely out of the league by the end of their rookie deals. While rare diamonds in the rough like Tyrese Maxey or Jalen Johnson prove that stardom can be found late in the first round, they are the exception, not the rule.
The San Antonio Spurs recognized a distinct positional need and aggressively swung for upside. But by doubling down on two prospects carrying heavy question marks—just as they did with Branham and Wesley four years ago—they have walked right back into the danger zone.
Only time will tell if the front office learned valuable lessons from their 2022 miscalculation. For now, Spurs fans are left holding their breath, hoping that Quaintance and Reed defy the odds and prove that lightning can strike twice—hopefully in a much more positive way this time around.
