After defeating the Phoenix Suns 86-81 on Saturday, the San Antonio Spurs tied a bow on a nice Summer League. After going winless in Sacramento, the Spurs bounced back in Las Vegas, going 4-1, just narrowly missing the playoffs.
Unlike years prior, the Spurs didn’t have a hyped top-10 draftee to carry fans’ attention throughout the Summer League. They did have several players who could factor into San Antonio’s long-term plans. For the most part, they played well. Let’s break down the good, the bad,
and the ugly from the 2026 summer Spurs.
The Good
Rotation players
Carter Bryant and Tarris Reed Jr. were the players most Spurs fans were excited to watch this summer. Bryant played a minor role on an NBA Finals team in his rookie season, and Reed was a first-round pick who is likely to factor into next year’s team as a third-string center. The last thing you want is for players who are likely to factor into the regular season rotation looking bad in the Summer League. San Antonio did not have that problem.
Bryant had to shake off some rust in his first game in Vegas, but quickly bounced back, averaging 15.5 points in his two games. The Spurs asked Bryant to play on the ball offensively in his first game, where he struggled (more on that later). In game two, he slotted into an off-ball wing role where he thrived on straight-line drives and catch-and-shoot attempts. Bryant looked strong compared to the competition, and showed a couple of nice mid-range jumpers, clearing space with that strength. Getting those on-ball reps now will pay off come October.
Reed had a more consistent summer experience. He averaged 7.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes per game. Summer League is a guard-oriented game, so Reed didn’t get a lot of chances to dominate offensively, which is fine because he likely won’t have that opportunity in the NBA. Instead, Reed showed what will make him a serviceable NBA player in his rookie season. He sets hard, physical screens that open up a lot of space for his teammates. He has great size that allows him to clear out the paint and grab boards on both ends (8.7 rebounds in 23.1 minutes is crazy), and has good touch to score inside. His defensive foot speed could use some work, as he found himself out of place on that end on multiple occasions. He looked like a player who can provide San Antonio with spot minutes, or fill in if Victor Wembanyama or Luke Kornet need to miss games.
Second-round fliers
San Antonio also has two second-round picks on two-way contracts. Contenders rarely need their two-way player to contribute much, but if the Spurs do, Ja’Kobi Gillespie and Maliq Brown look up to the task.
Brown shined as a versatile defender with elite hands. He averaged 2.8 steals this summer, swiping the ball away under the basket or using his length to get into the passing lanes. He showed glimpses of being able to play small-ball center with his wingspan and excellent instincts as a help defender. He needs to put on a bit more muscle to play the five in the NBA, but there is potential for him to be an interesting depth piece as a 4/5 man. It’s also worth noting that Brown hit a couple of three-pointers this summer. Developing a shot would take his game to another level.
Gillespie started the summer on an ice-cold shooting stretch, but bounced back, finishing the summer averaging 16 points a game on 40% shooting from the field and 30.8% from three. He always seemed to be moving with and without the ball to get into a position to score or to find a teammate for a good look. The shots didn’t always fall, but he was able to create separation against NBA talent and get to his spots. Despite his smaller stature, Gillespie looked the part defensively, snatching 2 steals per game this summer, applying a lot of pressure on the ball. Gillespie should be solid for the Austin Spurs this season, and could factor in as a break-in-case-of-emergency ball-handler for the NBA team.
Hyunjung Lee
Lee was the surprise player that got Spurs fans talking this summer. He’s a 6-foot-7 wing with a smooth jump shot from three. He’s not an incredible athlete, but he plays hard and can knock down shots. That was no more apparent than when he had 22 points on 4/7 shooting from deep against Darryn Peterson and the Utah Jazz. Lee likely won’t get a two-way contract with the Spurs this summer, but he’s certainly worth keeping in Austin to monitor his development.
The Bad
Carter Bryant on the ball
Bryant did not look good in his on-ball reps. He doesn’t have a sharp handle, and he’s not great at creating separation against even G League defenders right now. That’s the bad news. The good news is the Spurs don’t need him to break guys down off the dribble. They have Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper to do that. Bryant will shine on the defensive end. San Antonio needs him to be an off-ball player who can play aggressively with his athleticism and knock down open jumpers offensively. He should thrive long term as the 4th or 5th option while guarding the toughest wing on the opposing team. Getting these on-ball reps in the Summer League will go a long way to developing his skills so he can step up and create shots in more limited offensive lineups.
Passing to the bigs
One thing that drives me crazy about Summer League ball is how the guards don’t look at the big men inside. There were many occasions this summer where Reed would have a player pinned on a seal after a pick-and-roll and a guard would chuck up a bad shot. The guard-dominant style of the Summer League made it hard to watch and enjoy games this summer. Which brings me to…
The Ugly
Summer League basketball
I have been accustomed to watching a lot of bad basketball in my life. I enjoy watching college and high school basketball to learn about which players will be in the league in the near future. Watching players develop is one of my favorite things about the NBA. So Summer League, in most seasons, is a fun time of year for a fan like me. But I think the 2025-26 Spurs broke me. It’s not like they were the Beautiful Game Spurs from a decade ago, but they moved the ball well and guarded their tails off. Going from that level of basketball to the Summer League this year was STARK. It was hard to watch guys chuck bad shots, turn the ball over, and drive into traffic with no plan. It was some of the ugliest basketball I’ve watched in a while, and I’m glad that the next time we see the Silver and Black play, it will be with mostly the entire NBA team.
