Welcome to Pounding the Rock’s 2025-26 player reviews! The series will look at the players who finished the season with the San Antonio Spurs on guaranteed contracts and who played consequential minutes and/or a vital role (so no two-way players because we hardly saw them this year, no players who were traded away, and none of the deep bench centers, since they were both irrelevant and are now all gone).
Carter Bryant
2025-26 stats: 71 games played, 11.5 MPG, 4.2 points, 2.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 33.5 3FG%
Contract Status: 3-year, rookie contract (team option for 2027-28 and 2028-29)
Age: 20
It wasn’t a guarantee that Carter Bryant would be a contributor for the San Antonio Spurs in his
rookie season. The fourteenth-overall-pick in the 2025 NBA Draft entered a talented wing room with veterans like Harrison Barnes, Julian Champagnie, Devin Vassell and Keldon Johnson taking up a large share of the minutes. Bryant had to earn his way into the rotation. His usage was sporadic early in the season as Mitch Johnson tried to get a feel for his roster. But slowly, as the season went on, Bryant got more opportunities and a longer leash, becoming a legitimate contributor late in the season and a factor in the playoffs.
It wasn’t always smooth sailing for Bryant. He missed so many dunks early in the year that his veteran teammates threatened to shave his head. He looked lost at times off the ball defensively, and made some silly rookie mistakes with the ball in his hands. But something clicked after Bryant played a single game for the Austin Spurs on January 9th (he had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks in a win). When he returned to the NBA team, he looked confident and more deliberate with his decision-making. He used his strength and athleticism to make impact plays on defense and stopped forcing so much on offense. His playing time increased as a result.
Over the course of the season, Bryant showed glimpses of what he could be: a two-way wing who wins defensively with his superior size, athleticism and strength, and an offense cutter who can hit the occasional three-pointer. He plays with an extremely high motor and a level of aggression that’s pretty rare for a player of his age. His eagerness comes with its downsides as well, as Bryant would sometimes find himself out of position or foul while trying to stop an opposing player.
That weakness was put on display in the NBA playoffs, where players like Anthony Edwards and Jalen Brunson exposed Bryant defensively. Without adding much on the offensive end, Bryant was left with a sparkplug energy role off the bench that sometimes hurt the Spurs more than it helped them in the postseason.
Playoff woes aside, it’s hard not to see Bryant’s rookie season as a success. He carved out a role for himself on an NBA Finals team, and showed promise of being a long-term piece of San Antonio’s core. His numbers won’t blow you away, but he looked worthy of a lottery pick in a stacked 2025 class. He developed so much over the course of just one season. It would be foolish to doubt he can’t get better from here.
Looking ahead
Bryant should continue to factor into San Antonio’s rotation next season, if not earn more minutes. Even with the addition of Tobias Harris, Bryant still has a role as a rangy defensive wing who can potentially play some small-ball five. With Harris joining, Julian Champagnie can probably go back to playing more of an off-ball wing role rather than a stretch four alongside Victor Wembanyama in the starting lineup, leaving some minutes to be had for Bryant as the backup forward. He’ll be fighting Keldon Johnson and Harrison Barnes for that spot.
Bryant will likely come into the season next year as the Spurs’ second-best perimeter defender behind Stephon Castle. That fact alone should earn him minutes. San Antonio will need to see him improve on the offensive end. Bryant needs to knock down open threes and learn how to attack a closeout. He showed signs of doing both in the NBA Summer League this year. He doesn’t need to be able to “cook” defenders off the bounce, just score on straight-line drives when the defense overcommits. But first, he has to shoot better than 33.5% from three to make defenses respect him outside of the paint.
I am particularly excited about Bryant’s future. Guys with his size, motor, and athleticism don’t grow on trees. His shot looks sound, and we’ve seen it go in when he’s on a roll. He could develop into the key three-and-D wing that San Antonio needs next to Wembanyama and its star guards. We’ll need to see him make steps toward becoming that player in his sophomore season.
Top performance
17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists while shooting 5-6 from deep, providing an offensive spark in a game without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle.
Final grade: C+
Next up: Luke Kornet
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