The San Antonio Spurs arrived to the NBA Finals ahead of schedule this season after knocking off the reining champion Oklahoma City Thunder.
When they got there, they weren’t ready as the New York Knicks staged repeated comebacks to beat the Spurs in five games for the NBA championship.
On Tuesday, the Spurs added size, length and shot-blocking up front with the 20th pick in the draft in selecting Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance. But Quaintance may not be able to contribute immediately or consistently as a rookie.
Quaintance played just four games at Kentucky as a sophomore after transferring from Arizona State due to a devastating right knee injury that he sustained in February 2025 that included an ACL tear, meniscus tear and a fracture.
He returned to live basketball with Kentucky in December, but was limited to four games with the Wildcats due to ongoing complications with the knee injury. The Spurs are betting on his recovery and his upside to be a defensive force alongside Victor Wembanyama on the front line.
In 24 games at Arizona State as a freshman before his injury, Quaintance averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.6 blocks and 1.1 steals per game. If he can recover and return to that form, he could pair with Wembnayama for perhaps the most intimidating defensive front line in the NBA.
With the pick, the Spurs are demonstrating patience and a long-haul view rather than overreacting to their shortcomings that surfaced against the Knicks.
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