为什么马刺会在周二的选秀大会上豪赌两位内线球员
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer | San Antonio Express-News (SAEN), 2026-06-23 21:32:50
资料图——2026年1月3日，在阿拉巴马州塔斯卡卢萨举行的一场NCAA大学篮球比赛下半场中，阿拉巴马大学后卫小拉特雷尔·赖特塞尔 (Latrell Wrightsell Jr.)（3号）与肯塔基大学前锋杰登·昆坦斯 (Jayden Quaintance)（右）争抢篮板。（美联社照片/瓦沙·亨特，资料图）
杰登·昆坦斯已经听过许多关于维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 赛场绝活的传闻。他甚至可能在录像中亲眼目睹过其中的一些。
这位肯塔基大学的中锋在周二的NBA选秀大会上被马刺以首轮第20顺位选中，他已经迫不及待地想在圣安东尼奥与他的新全明星队友展开对决了。
在篮球场上？那是当然。
在棋盘上？那更是必须的。
“我还没和我的很多队友交过手，”昆坦斯说道。身高6英尺9英寸（约2.06米）的他，将成为本赛季马刺更衣室里身高第二高的国际象棋爱好者。“所以那一定会很有趣。”
然而，在2026年NBA选秀大会的首晚，轮到马刺总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 扮演“加里·卡斯帕罗夫 (Garry Kasparov)”的角色了。他通过两次大胆的运作，旨在增强球队阵容，从而向总决赛发起又一次冲击。
马刺不仅用20号签选中了昆坦斯——一位技术精湛但饱受伤病困扰的大个子，上赛季他仅参加了四场大学比赛；他们还通过交易换来了另一个首轮签，将三个次轮签送至丹佛，从而获得了在第26顺位选择身高6英尺10英寸（约2.08米）的康涅狄格大学中锋小塔里斯·里德 (Tarris Reed Jr.) 的权利。
马刺总经理莱特谈马刺选中杰登·昆坦斯和小塔里斯·里德 pic.twitter.com/yBYiwaKXim
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 24, 2026
对于莱特来说，马刺在周二将两位球风强硬、臂展惊人的内线大个子招致麾下，绝非偶然。
“你可以看出我们有明确的偏好，”莱特说道，“我们增加了两个大块头——身体强壮、运动能力出色，而且我们认为他们都有着非常好的上限。我们很高兴能将这两位年轻人带入我们的体系。”
的确，马刺在选秀首轮的策略或许可以用一句话来概括：要么“选大”，要么回家。
这两位新秀来到马刺，都带有一定的赌博性质。
对于昆坦斯来说，这次豪赌的关键在于健康。
年仅18岁的昆坦斯作为今年选秀中最具争议的前景之一参选。他拥有乐透级别的天赋，但其伤病史让人们对他最终的落脚点产生了疑问。
在亚利桑那州立大学度过了一个前景光明但因右膝前交叉韧带（ACL）撕裂而提前报销的大一赛季后，昆坦斯在上赛季转学到了肯塔基大学。在因膝盖酸痛被宣布赛季报销之前，他仅代表野猫队出战了四场比赛。
作为前五星高中生和麦当劳全美最佳球员，昆坦斯在两所大学的28场比赛中，场均贡献7.2分、6.5个篮板和1.7次盖帽。
在选秀前的评估过程中，持续的膝盖隐患一直困扰着昆坦斯。他在周二表示，在开启自己的NBA生涯之前，他仍需要接受一次清理手术来修复部分半月板损伤。
他对此早已摩拳擦掌、迫不及待。
“显然，去年我没能像自己渴望的那样，展现出我的全部实力，”昆坦斯说道，“所以，去证明我属于那些顶级球员之列，证明我本该在更高的顺位被选中，并向所有错过我的球队证明他们错了——这就是我最真实、最原始的动力。”
马刺显然认为昆坦斯值得冒这个险，尤其是在首轮后半段。
他们将昆坦斯在亚利桑那州立大学时期的录像视为他未来在NBA立足的预兆——在那里，他仅出场24次就打破了该校大一新生的盖帽纪录。
“他拥有极其出色的天赋，不幸的是，那个赛季因为伤病而缩短了，”莱特说道，“如果不是因为这个，也许我们根本没有机会选到他。”
选秀前，昆坦斯接受了马刺医疗团队的评估。莱特表示，球队对评估结果感到满意。
“我们相信他会拥有一个漫长的职业生涯，”莱特说道，“而我们可以帮助他实现这一目标。”
昆坦斯是今年选秀池中最年轻的球员。而通过选中22岁的里德，马刺也拿下了最年长的球员之一。
2026年3月29日，星期日，在华盛顿举行的NCAA大学篮球锦标赛精英八强赛中，康涅狄格大学前锋小塔里斯·里德 (5号) 在球队战胜杜克大学后庆祝。（美联社照片/阿比·帕尔）
作为一名大四学生，里德场均贡献14.7分、9.0个篮板、2.3次助攻和2次盖帽，是康涅狄格大学的内线支柱，该队在NCAA全国总决赛中憾负密歇根大学。
在康涅狄格大学首轮战胜福曼大学的比赛中，他砍下了31分和27个篮板的怪兽级数据。
里德是马刺在过去三年中在首轮选中的第二位康涅狄格大学球员，前一位是斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)。听里德的意思，他和卡斯尔都流淌着同样强悍的康涅狄格血液。
“这是一种充满身体对抗、干脏活累活的球风，我能把我的这些特质带到场上，”在密歇根大学效力两年后又在康涅狄格大学度过两年大学生涯的里德说道，“我觉得康涅狄格大学真的帮我把这些特质展现了出来，让全世界都看到了我是个什么样风格的球员。”
马刺为了选中里德付出了选秀资产，他们将周三次轮的第35号签以及2028年和2031年的未来次轮签送给丹佛，以换取第26顺位。
马刺在周三的次轮选秀中仍手握两个选秀权，分别是第42顺位和第44顺位。
马刺在总决赛中输给纽约的阴影依然挥之不去——选秀大会距离总决赛第五场仅过去了10天——莱特表示，季后赛中对抗强度的提升给他留下了深刻的印象。
这也影响了马刺在周二做出的选秀博弈。
“我们都感受到了这一点，”莱特说道，“我认为我们的球队在每个系列赛中都提升了水平，无论是我们的适应能力，还是我们展现出的身体对抗。而我认为我们（周二）选中的这两位球员都具备这样的特质。”
昆坦斯并不是唯一一个渴望与文班亚马会面的马刺新成员。
作为一名阅读爱好者，里德表示他正准备开始阅读《牧羊少年奇幻之旅》（The Alchemist）——这是巴西作家保罗·柯艾略 (Paulo Coelho) 于1988年创作的小说，文班亚马在马刺季后赛期间的大部分时间里都在研读这本书。
“我还没读过，”里德说道，“但我听说它非常棒。”
在场下，马刺最新的两位新秀似乎与球队最核心的球员非常契合。如果这种化学反应能像马刺所期望的那样延续到场上，那对联盟其他球队来说，可能就意味着“将死”（checkmate）了。
“我们很高兴能得到两位我们认为现在就能真正帮助球队、并且在未来也能发挥作用的球员，”莱特说道。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Why the Spurs rolled the dice on a pair of big men in Tuesday's draft
Why the Spurs rolled the dice on a pair of big men in Tuesday’s draft
FILE - Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (3) battles for a rebound with Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance, right, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Jan. 3, 2026, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)
Jayden Quaintance has heard tales of Victor Wembanyama’s best moves. He might have even seen some of them on film.
The Kentucky center, who the Spurs selected with the 20th overall pick in Tuesday’s NBA draft, cannot wait until he finally gets to do battle with his new All-Star teammate in San Antonio.
On the basketball court? Sure.
On the chessboard? Most definitely.
“I haven’t got to play a bunch of my teammates,” said Quiantance, who at 6-foot-9 stands to be the second-tallest chess aficionado on in the Spurs’ locker room this season. “So that would be a fun one.”
On the first night of the 2026 NBA draft, however, it was Spurs general manager Brian Wright who took his turn mimicking Garry Kasparov, with a pair of bold maneuvers meant to bolster his team’s roster for another NBA Finals run.
Not only did the Spurs use the 20th pick on Quaintance — a highly skilled but injury plagued big man who appeared in only four college games last season — they also traded for another first-round pick, sending three second-round picks to Denver for the right to select 6-foor-10 Connecticut center Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26 overall.
Spurs GM Brian Wright on the Spurs picks of Jayden Quaintance and Tarris Reed pic.twitter.com/yBYiwaKXim
— Spurs Nation (@ Spurs_Nation) June 24, 2026
For Wright, the fact the Spurs added a pair of bruising, long-armed big men to the roster Tuesday was no coincidence.
“You can see we had a type,” Wright said. “We added a couple of big bodies — physical, athletic, we also think with really good upsides. We’re excited to add both young men to the program.”
Indeed, the Spurs’ approach to the first round of the draft might be best summarized this way: Go big, or go home.
Both rookies come to the Spurs as a little bit of a gamble.
For Quaintance, the dice-roll is all about health.
The 18-year-old Quaintance entered this year’s draft as one of its most polarizing prospects, a lottery-level talent whose injury history raised questions about where he would land.
After a promising freshman campaign at Arizona State ended with a torn right ACL, Quaintance transferred to Kentucky last season. He appeared in all of four games with the Wildcats before being shut down with knee soreness.
A former five-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American, Quaintance averaged 7.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 28 games between his two college stops.
Ongoing knee concerns dogged Quaintance during the pre-draft process. He said Tuesday he still needs a clean-up surgery to repair some meniscus damage before he can begin his NBA career.
He is chomping at the bit for that.
“Obviously, I didn’t get to show everything I could do as much as I wanted to last year,” Quiantance said. “So just getting to prove that I belong as one of those top guys, prove that I should have been (drafted) higher and just make a point to all the teams that passed up on me — that’s the original emotion.”
The Spurs clearly believed Quiantance was worth the risk, especially in the back third of the first round.
They view Quaintance’s tape from Arizona State — where he set a school freshman record for blocks while appearing in only 24 games — as a harbinger of what he might bring to the NBA.
“He’s got tremendous, tremendous talent and unfortunately that (season) was cut short a little bit due to injury,” Wright said. “Had it not been, maybe we don’t have the opportunity to draft him.”
Quaintance visited with the Spurs’ medical team before the draft. Wright said the team was comfortable with what they heard.
“We believe he’s someone that will have a long career,” Wright said, “and we can help him get there.”
Quaintance was the youngest player in this year’s draft pool. In the 22-year-old Reed, the Spurs also nabbed one of the oldest.
UConn forward Tarris Reed Jr. (5) reacts after the team’s win against Duke in the Elite Eight of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Sunday, March 29, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Reed averaged 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and two blocks per game as a senior, anchoring a UConn team that lost to Michigan in the NCAA national championship game.
He had a monster line of 31 points and 27 rebounds in UConn’s first-round win over Furman.
Reed is the second UConn player the Spurs have selected in the first round in the past three years, joining Stephon Castle. To hear Reed tell it, he and Castle are cut from the same rugged Connecticut cloth.
“It’s an ugly, gritty game, being able to bring what I got to the table,” said Reed, who played two years at Michigan before finishing his college career with two years at Connecticut. “I feel like UConn really helped me put that in the limelight, help everyone in the world see what type of game I have.”
The Spurs had to expend draft capital to select Reed, giving Denver the No. 35 pick in Wednesday’s second round and well as future second-round picks in 2028 and 2031 in exchange for the 26th overall pick.
The club still has two second-round picks to use Wednesday, No. 42 and No. 44 overall.
With the Spurs’ loss to New York in the NBA Finals still fresh — the draft came only 10 days after Game 5 — Wright said the uptick in physicality throughout the playoffs is something that stuck with him.
It played into the chess moves the Spurs made Tuesday.
“We all felt it,” Wright said. “I thought our team raised our level across each series and how we adapted and how we brought our own physicality. And I think both guys that we added (Tuesday) do that.”
Quiantance is not the only new Spur eager to meet with Wembanyama.
An avid reader, Reed said he is about to begin “The Alchemist,” a 1988 novel by Brazilian author Paulo Coelho that Wembanyama spent most of the Spurs’ playoff run perusing.
“I haven’t read it yet,” Reed said, “but I heard it’s really good.”
Off the court, the Spurs’ newest two draft picks seem a perfect fit alongside the team’s most important player. If that chemistry continues the way the Spurs believe it will on the court, it could mean checkmate for the rest of the league.
“We’re excited to get a couple guys that we think can really help our team now — and also into the future,” Wright said.
By Jeff McDonald, Staff Writer, via San Antonio Express-News
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