SAN ANTONIO – One day after the conclusion of the 2026 NBA Draft, the San Antonio Spurs introduced their newest draft picks Thursday afternoon.
The Spurs’ news conference began at approximately 4:50 p.m. KSAT livestreamed the news conference in this article.
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In the first round Tuesday night, San Antonio zeroed in on its interior when it selected 6-foot-10 forward Jayden Quaintance out of Kentucky and acquired the 26th overall pick — UConn big man Tarris Reed Jr.
Quaintance only played four games with the Wildcats due to injury last season, but he averaged 2.6 blocks per game in 2024-25 as a freshman at Arizona State. Last season, Reed posted 14 double-doubles in his senior campaign with the Huskies (14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game).
On Night 2 of the draft Wednesday, San Antonio addressed its backcourt for the first time by drafting Tennessee guard and SEC Newcomer of the Year Ja’Kobi Gillespie with the 42nd pick. He averaged 18.4 points, 5.4 assists and 2.8 rebounds per game as a starter in all 37 games for the Volunteers.
Two picks later, the Spurs got its wingman in 6-foot-8 forward Maliq Brown from Duke. Brown made the most in his reserve role for the Blue Devils in 2025-26, earning ACC Sixth Man of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year honors (2.0 steals per game).
This article will be updated with quotes from Thursday’s news conference.
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