By LJ Ellis | SpursTalk, 2026-06-25 07:56:46
2026年NBA选秀对于圣安东尼奥马刺队来说，多少有些出人意料。这倒不一定是关于他们选的球员本身。
首先，令人惊讶的是马刺在这次选秀中做出了四次选择。他们带着四个选秀权进入选秀，但我原以为他们不会最终带走四名球员。
其次，他们做了一笔向上交易——这在过去几十年里，是马刺队极少采取的行动。
第三，马刺选了三个22岁的球员。考虑到马刺近年来一直优先选择十几岁的年轻人，这种对年长新秀的突然青睐确实有点意外。不过，这似乎是他们选秀策略转变的一部分。
下面，我们来逐一看看马刺队在选秀中的四个选择。
马刺在第20顺位选中杰登·昆坦斯
评级：B+
这有点让人惊讶——但考虑到昆坦斯在我最终的模拟选秀大榜上排名第18，这并非绝对意外。这位18岁的年轻人在大学级别的防守端绝对是一头猛兽。这位身高6尺10寸（2.08米）、体重254磅（115公斤）的中锋是一名伟大的盖帽手，在外围非常灵活，是统治级的篮板手，并且拥有令人印象深刻的防守直觉。
昆坦斯曾是具备乐透秀天赋的球员……但有一个关键问题。当他还是17岁的大一新生在亚利桑那州立大学打球时，遭遇了重大的膝伤。他不仅撕裂了前十字韧带（ACL），还遭遇了半月板撕裂，膝盖也出现了骨折。在转学到肯塔基大学后，昆坦斯在大二赛季只打了几场比赛，就因膝盖肿胀不得不作壁上观。
以下是我在选秀前关于昆坦斯所写的内容：
“在ACL撕裂之前，可以说文班亚马和昆坦斯是地球上最好的两个防守潜力股，这并不夸张。显然，文班亚马整体上自成一档，但JQ的盖帽、换防和覆盖面积的能力非常特别。他的进攻可能永远局限于空接和二次进攻，但如果马刺认为他能从2027-28赛季起，每晚为他们提供10到15分钟的上场时间，那么在第20顺位选他就有其合理性，若在第35顺位选中则更是梦幻般的赌博。”
马刺最终不想冒险看他是否会掉到第二轮。我对此没有意见。更重要的消息来自选秀之后，马刺总经理布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 表示，球队曾邀请昆坦斯来访，医生们得以仔细检查了他的膝盖，并梳理了他的医疗记录。
考虑到医生们为马刺选中昆坦斯开了绿灯，我现在相当兴奋。这孩子是个极其特殊的防守潜力股。
我给马刺这个选择打B+。这其中考虑到了并不令人意外的消息：昆坦斯可能需要再次手术，并且可能缺席下赛季的部分——甚至全部——比赛。我也考虑到了昆坦斯根本无法恢复到足以开启他NBA职业生涯的可能性（我估计这个概率大约是20%[这只是估计，我无法给出准确的百分比]）。
目前来看，风险是真实存在的。昆坦斯不仅需要从严重伤病中恢复，还需要弥补在他本应是职业生涯关键成长期所失去的发展时间。
但是，天哪，如果他能恢复健康，重回正轨，并兑现他的潜力，这个昆坦斯的选择在未来的某个时刻可能会变得极其重要。
虽然我看到有些人谈论昆坦斯与维克托·文班亚马 (Victor Wembanyama) 一起打球，但我更多将他视为一个上场10到15分钟的替补球员，他的任务是在文班亚马下场休息时，保持防守强度。想象一下，当那位高大的法国人下场后，马刺的防守不会一落千丈。在我们刚刚目睹了季后赛的征程后，光是这一点就感觉像个奇迹。
这是一次好的选择。一次勇敢的选择。一次令人兴奋的选择。存在一定风险，但在医生给出肯定答复后，马刺选择JQ，是这个签位下能做出的最佳选择之一了。
马刺在第26顺位选中小塔里斯·里德
评级：B
圣安东尼奥几乎从不在首轮向上交易。最著名的例子是马刺向上交易选秀权去挑选科怀·伦纳德。（老实说，在过去30年里，我甚至不记得还有另一个例子，但这需要做太多研究来证实了。）
但在2026年NBA选秀中，这正是主队为在第26顺位选中里德所做的事。为了从丹佛掘金队获得这个选秀权，马刺送出了今年的第35号签，一个2028年来自明尼苏达森林狼队的次轮签，以及一个2031年来自萨克拉门托国王队的次轮签。
放弃两个次轮签来向上移动九个顺位似乎代价不小——但我认为这是一个合理的代价。本次选秀中，大约30顺位之外的球员天赋下降得相当多，所以向上移动去挑选一个有目标的新秀是合理的。此外，马刺在未来的选秀权储备中有太多次轮签，要将它们兑现价值可能很难——所以我喜欢他们对未来资产的这次运用。
至于里德，我认为他相当不错。我认为他比较理想的发展上限，是一个传球能力更好的纳兹尔·穆罕默德。这意味着他能用简洁但有力的动作在篮筐附近得分，篮板能力出色，并且能贡献一些盖帽。如果他能在非复杂的比赛局面下做出强硬、简洁、能赢球的行动，我认为他还是有一定用处的。
里德身高约6尺11寸（2.11米），体重264磅（120公斤），是联合试训中留在选秀中的体重最重的球员。正如体重所暗示的，他是一个体型庞大、善于利用身体对抗的球员。
但是，等等，马刺为什么要在首轮选两个替补中锋呢？答案归结于昆坦斯。明年他可能需要一个“红衫”赛季。即使他能上场，他也可能经验太浅，无法立刻在季后赛中委以重任。另外，正如我之前提到的，存在昆坦斯因伤永远无法打职业篮球的可能性。
里德基本上是和昆坦斯完全相反的球员。JQ才18岁，而到训练营开始时里德将满23岁。见鬼，他比文班亚马年纪还大。
里德有可能即插即用。在康涅狄格大学，他本赛季承受了巨大的压力，也被寄予厚望。作为回应，他场均得到14.7分、9.0个篮板、2.3次助攻和2.0次盖帽，同时投篮命中率超过60%。他可以说是球队最好的球员，帮助康涅狄格大学一路杀入了冠军赛。
考虑到这些情况，适应NBA的难度对他来说应该不至于太大。他应该能很快地在替补中锋的位置上打出合格的表现。
像昆坦斯一样，我认为里德主要在文班亚马身后打球。他是一名非射手，并且缺乏翼侧级别的移动能力，因此很难找到他们可以一起搭档的场景。话虽如此，如果里德继续打磨他被低估的传球技巧，那么未来或许存在他最终能与文班亚马搭档几分钟的可能性。
总而言之，我喜欢这个选择。我给它一个B，因为马刺不得不放弃资产来选一个可能永远只是个替补中锋的球员。但是，再次强调，我认为这个代价是合理的，而且我并不介意马刺在首轮用两个签位来尝试填补长期的替补中锋角色。
马刺在第42顺位选中贾科比·吉莱斯皮
评级：B-
嗯……有意思。吉莱斯皮是一名控球后卫，在联合试训中测得身高不足6尺。他也不是特别强壮，也不以防守见长。
拥有斯蒂芬·卡斯尔、迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper) 和达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox) 这样高水平的控球后卫在阵，乍一看，你会觉得马刺再需要一名控卫，就像他们需要另一个普拉姆利兄弟一样。老实说，即使再看第二眼、第三眼，也还是这感觉。
但是，是的，我有点明白了。在我最终的模拟选秀大榜上，我把吉莱斯皮排在第49位，所以这并非完全出乎意料。吉莱斯皮在联合试训的对抗赛中，是表现最好的两三名球员之一——而马刺队一直非常看重这些对抗赛的表现。在其中一场比赛的上半场，他爆砍24分，他的投篮能力看起来非常令人印象深刻。
这位来自田纳西大学的22岁球员，是一位高产的三分射手，手感柔和，同时能屡屡抢断并控制失误。他算是个不错的组织者，但更闪耀的是作为一名能保护球权的得分手。
马刺为什么会选吉莱斯皮呢？他会立刻在奥斯汀（马刺发展联盟球队）作为一个控球后卫发挥价值。他可以在学习体系的同时打磨自己的组织能力。最终，如果一切顺利，他作为一个足够好的射手，可以帮助在NBA级别为球队拉开空间。
但归根结底，如果他在未来的某个时候能成为更好版本的乔丹·麦克劳克林，那就算是一个胜利。如果他能成为一个第三控卫，在比赛对位能允许他以小个子身材在场上生存时，上场命中投篮，那将是一个不错的结果。
总的来说，选择吉莱斯皮还可以。在第42顺位选到一个能为奥斯汀效力的高水准控卫，且未来有可能在特定角色中增加投射能力，这是个不错的收获。
马刺在第44顺位选中马利克·布朗
评级：B
在第44顺位选中布朗是一个很酷的选择。在我最终的模拟选秀大榜上，他排在第42位，所以对于这个价值没什么可抱怨的。
说它酷，是因为马刺基本上对中锋位置的深度和防守下了三倍赌注。尽管布朗只有约6尺9寸（2.06米）和217磅（98公斤），但在NBA他很可能不得不打中锋，因为他在进攻端作用太有限了。他不能投三分，不能罚球，甚至当球在他手里时似乎都会感到紧张。
但是，该死，布朗是个非常厉害的防守者。他拥有不可思议的双手和反应能力，并且在这方面被赋予了极高的篮球智商。他的防守操纵和预判能力超乎寻常。用一个马刺的背景来比喻，他就像鲍里斯·迪奥，只不过迪奥是在进攻端的天才，而他是在防守端的天才。
话又说回来，当一个6尺9寸、217磅的球员在进攻端无法做任何引人注目的事情时，他很难在NBA立足。这就是为什么即使他显然是大学篮球界排名前五的防守者，也一直掉到了第44顺位。
布朗在NBA生存的方式，是需要身边有“四外一内”的空间配置。我可以想象他和文班亚马一起打球，在进攻端就待在扣篮点。他有足够的运动能力去完成空中接力，或者在篮下面对轮转防守时得分。然后在防守端，文班亚马和布朗这对组合，将是对手难以应对的噩梦。
我是说，老实讲，他是个次轮秀，所以最可能的情况是，布朗在进攻端的局限性让他无法在NBA立足。具体量化的话，大概有超过90%的可能性他会在几年内淡出NBA。
但是，天呐，如果布朗能找到办法，在进攻端做得刚好足够让他留在场上，他的防守几乎肯定会非常有价值。我喜欢这种赌博，并且致力于增强球队潜在防守统治力的策略，我觉得是值得称赞的……而且令人兴奋。
最终想法
我对马刺的这次选秀感到满意。选秀之前，我认为保留四名球员并不合理。但事情发展的独特性，使得增加四名球员变得情有可原。
马刺并没有让阵容变得拥挤，而是基本对替补中锋的位置进行了三次尝试——而且这三名球员各不相同。你有长期潜力股的赌博，有能短期即战的强壮内线，还有一个适合搭档文班亚马的人选。除此之外，马刺还选了一个应该在发展联盟非常有用、最终可以填补麦克劳克林角色的控球后卫。
即便如此，如果这是他们选秀前的计划，马刺可能仍然会续约麦克劳克林。所以基本上，唯一一个地位发生变化的马刺球员是卢克·科内特。而且，即使是他，也几乎可以肯定会再被带回球队一个赛季。
我认为科内特感到一些压力是公平的。在季后赛中，当他在场上时，马刺每百回合要多丢14分。这是一个非常糟糕的数字——即使考虑进文班亚马的伟大。
为了赢得总冠军，马刺需要解决没有文班亚马在场的那段时间。与科内特相比，里德增加了内线得分、更强的蛮力和可以说更好的接球能力。我的猜测是，下赛季科内特仍会是更好的球员，但里德至少增加了一个不同的维度。
然后，如果JQ恢复健康，他那超凡脱俗的防守潜力会使他成为一个近乎完美的文班亚马替补。与此同时，布朗则是一张外卡，为内线轮换提供了不同的可能解决方案。
在一个夜晚，布莱恩·莱特 (Brian Wright) 和管理层为这个整体感觉体型偏小、且在文班亚马身后过于脆弱的轮换阵容，增加了许多潜在的答案。而且他们是在不打扰球队根基的情况下做到的。干得漂亮。
由生成式人工智能翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：Grading the San Antonio Spurs Picks in the 2026 NBA Draft
Grading the San Antonio Spurs Picks in the 2026 NBA Draft
The 2026 NBA Draft was a bit of a surprising one for the San Antonio Spurs. And not necessarily because of the players the Spurs picked.
First of all, it was surprising that the Spurs made four selections in this draft. They entered the draft with four picks but I didn’t think they’d come away with four players.
Secondly, they made a move to trade up in the draft — something San Antonio has rarely done over the decades.
Third of all, the Spurs picked three 22-year-olds. Considering that the Spurs have prioritized teenagers in recent years, this sudden comfort with older prospects was a bit of a surprise. However, it was part of the suspected change in San Antonio’s draft strategy.
Let’s take a look at each of the four picks the Spurs made in the draft.
The Spurs Pick Jayden Quaintance at No. 20
Grade: B+
This was a little bit of a surprise — but not an absolute shocker considering Quaintance was No. 18 in my final Big Board. This 18-year-old was an absolute beast as a defender at the college level. The 6-foot-10, 254-pound center is a great shot blocker, very nimble out on the perimeter, a dominant rebounder and possesses impressive instincts.
Quaintance was a lottery level talent … but there was one major catch. While playing at Arizona State as a 17-year-old freshman, he suffered a major knee injury. He not only tore his ACL, he suffered a torn meniscus and also broke a bone in his knee. After transferring to Kentucky, Quaintance was only able to play a handful of games as a sophomore before swelling forced him to the sidelines.
This is what I wrote about Quaintance prior to the draft:
“Before the ACL tear, it wouldn’t have been much of an exaggeration to say Wembanyama and Quaintance were the two best defensive prospects on earth. Obviously, Wembanyama was in a category of his own overall, but JQ’s ability to block shots, switch and cover ground was special. His offense may never be more than lobs and putbacks, but if the Spurs think he can give them 10 to 15 minutes per game by the 2027-28 season, he becomes justifiable at No. 20 and a dream gamble at No. 35.”
The Spurs ended up not wanting to risk it and see if he dropped to the second round. I’m okay with that. The more important news came after the draft when Spurs general manager Brian Wright said the team had Quaintance in for a visit and the doctors were able to take a long look at his knee and were able to sift through his medical records.
Considering that the doctors gave the Spurs a green light to draft Quaintance, I’m pretty darn excited. This kid is a special, special defensive prospect.
I’m giving the Spurs a B+ on this pick. That’s factoring in the unsurprising news that Quaintance will likely need another surgery and could miss some — if not all — of next season. I’m also factoring in the chance (I’d say it’s about a 20% chance [I’m just estimating, I have no way to give an accurate percentage]) that Quaintance simply never recovers enough to even begin his NBA career.
There are very real risks at this point. Quaintance not only has to return from a serious injury, he needs to make up for lost development time in what should have been a vital period of growth in his career.
But, oh my gosh, if he can get healthy, get back on track and live up to his potential, this Quaintance pick could be an extremely important one at some point down the line.
While I’ve seen some talk about Quaintance playing with Victor Wembanyama, I see him as more of a 10 to 15 minute player off the bench whose job is to retain the defensive intensity when Wembanyama is on the bench. Imagine the tall Frenchman going to the bench and the Spurs not falling off defensively. After the playoff run we just witnessed, that alone will feel miraculous.
Good pick. Brave pick. Exciting pick. There’s some risk but the Spurs picking JQ after the doctors gave the a-okay is one of the better outcomes with that selection.
The Spurs Pick Tarris Reed Jr. at No. 26
Grade: B
San Antonio almost never trades up in the first round. The most notable instance is the Spurs moving up to draft Kawhi Leonard. (Honestly, I don’t even remember another instance at any point in the last 30 years but that would require too much research to verify.)
But in the 2026 NBA Draft, that’s exactly what the good guys did to select Reed at No. 26. To acquire this pick from the Denver Nuggets, the Spurs traded No. 35 in this year’s draft, a 2028 second round pick via the Minnesota Timberwolves and a 2031 second round pick via the Sacramento Kings.
Giving up two second round picks to move up nine spots might seem like a lot — but I think that was a reasonable price. The talent in this draft fell quite a bit outside of the top 30 or so players, so moving up to grab a targeted prospect makes sense. Furthermore, the Spurs have so many second round picks in the pipeline that getting any value out of them can be difficult — so I liked this use of their future assets.
As for Reed, I think he’s pretty good. I think an upper level outcome is a better passing version of Nazr Mohammed. Meaning he scores around the rim with simple but powerful moves, rebounds well and blocks some shots. If he can make strong, simple, winning plays in noncomplicated situations, I think there’s some usefulness here.
At about 6-foot-11 and 264 pounds, Reed was the heaviest player at the combine who stayed in the draft. As that weight suggests, he’s a bulky dude who throws his weight around.
But, wait, why would the Spurs pick two backup centers in the first round? It simply comes down to Quaintance. He might need a redshirt season next year. Even if he plays, he’s probably too green to trust in the playoffs right away. Plus, like I mentioned earlier, there are outcomes where Quaintance simply is never able to play pro basketball due to injury.
Reed is basically the exact opposite of Quaintance. While JQ is 18, Reed will be 23 by the start of training camp. Hell, he’s older than Wembanyama.
There’s a chance Reed is ready to play Day 1. At UConn, he was under a lot of pressure and a lot was asked of him this season. He responded by averaging 14.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.0 blocks while hitting better than 60% of his field goal attempts. He helped carry UConn to the championship game as arguably their best player.
Given those circumstances, the jump to the NBA shouldn’t be too gargantuan. He should be able to play backup center minutes at an adequate level pretty quickly.
Like Quaintance, I see Reed mostly playing behind Wembanyama. He’s a non-shooter and lacks wing-level mobility so it’d be difficult to find situations where they can play together. That said, if Reed keeps building upon his underrated passing skills, there are pathways where he could eventually play minutes with Wembanyama down the line.
All in all, I like the pick. I’ll give it a B because the Spurs had to give up assets to draft a player who probably will never have the wherewithal to be anything other than a backup center. But, again, I thought the price was reasonable and I don’t mind that the Spurs took two cracks in the first round at filling the long-term backup center role.
The Spurs Pick Ja’Kobi Gillespie at No. 42
Grade: B-
Hmm … interesting. Gillespie is a point guard who measured shorter than 6-foot at the combine. He’s also not especially strong or known for his defensive play.
With Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper and De’Aaron Fox on the roster as highly capable point guards, at first glance you’d think the Spurs needed another point guard like they needed another Plumlee brother. And at second and third glance, if we’re being honest.
But, yeah, I kinda get it. I had Gillespie 49th on the final Big Board so this wasn’t completely out of left field. Gillespie was one of the top two or three best players during the scrimmages at the combine — and the Spurs always highly value those scrimmages. In the first half of one of the games, he exploded for 24 points and his shot-making looked very impressive.
The 22-year-old out of Tennessee is a volume three-point shooter with good touch who racks up steals while limiting turnovers. He’s an okay-ish playmaker but shines more as a scorer who takes care of the ball.
Why would the Spurs pick Gillespie? He’ll be valuable as a point guard in Austin right away. He can work on his playmaking while learning the system. Eventually, if everything goes right, he’s a good enough shooter to help space the court at the NBA level.
Ultimately, though, it’ll be a win if he’s a better version of Jordan McLaughlin at some point down the line. If he can be a third point guard who can step in and hit shots if the matchups allow him to survive on the court at his small stature, that’d be a good outcome.
Overall, the pick of Gillespie is fine. Getting a high-quality point guard for Austin who could eventually add shooting in a specialized role is a good get at 42.
The Spurs Pick Maliq Brown at No. 44
Grade: B
Brown at No. 44 was a cool pick. I had him No. 42 on the final Big Board so there’s no complaining about the value.
It’s cool because the Spurs basically tripled down on center depth and defense. While Brown is only about 6-foot-9 and 217 pounds, he’s going to have to play center in the NBA because he’s such a zero on offense. He can’t shoot threes, can’t shoot free throws and even seems to get nervous when the ball is in his hands.
But, damn, Brown is one helluva defender. He has incredible hands, incredible reflexes and is blessed with a very high basketball IQ on that end. His manipulation and anticipation are off the charts. To put him in a Spurs context, he’s like Boris Diaw but instead of being a savant on the offensive end, he’s a savant on the defensive end.
Then again, it’s tough to make it at 6-foot-9 and 217 pounds when he can’t do anything of note on offense. That’s why he lasted all the way to pick No. 44 even though he was clearly a top five defender in college basketball.
The way Brown survives in the NBA is playing with four-out spacing around him. I can imagine him playing with Wembanyama and just staying in the dunker’s spot on offense. He’s athletic enough to finish alleyoops or score against rotating coverages at the rim. And then on the other end, Wembanyama and Brown would be a nightmarish combination for other teams to deal with.
I mean, if we’re being honest, he’s a second round pick so the most likely scenario is that Brown’s offensive limitations don’t allow him to make it. To put a number on it, there’s probably a greater than 90% chance he’s out of the NBA within a few years.
But, holy cow, if Brown figures out how to do just enough on offense to allow him to stay on the court, his defense is guaranteed to be pretty darn valuable. I like this sort of gamble and leaning into the team’s potential defensive dominance is a strategy I find commendable … and exciting.
Final Thoughts
I’m pleased with this draft by the Spurs. Prior to the draft, I didn’t think it made sense to keep four players. But the uniqueness of how things played out made adding four players justifiable.
Instead of crowding the roster, the Spurs basically took three shots at backup centers — and all three are different. You have the long-term gamble, the bruiser ready in the short-term and the one who makes sense next to Wembanyama. On top of that, the Spurs took a point guard who should be highly useful in the G League who can eventually fill the McLaughlin role.
Even then, the Spurs will probably still re-sign McLaughlin if that was their plan before the draft. So basically the only Spurs player who saw his status change was Luke Kornet. And even he is all but guaranteed to be brought back another season.
I think it’s fair for Kornet to be feeling some heat. In the playoffs, the Spurs were 14 points worse per 100 possessions when he was on the court. That’s an outrageously bad number — even factoring in Wembanyama’s greatness.
For the Spurs to win a championship, they need to figure out the non-Wembanyama minutes. Compared to Kornet, Reed adds interior scoring, more brute strength and arguably better hands. My guess is that Kornet will remain the better player next season but Reed at the very least adds a different dimension.
Then, if JQ gets healthy, his unholy defensive potential makes him a near perfect Wembanyama backup. Brown, meanwhile, is the wildcard who gives different possible solutions to the big man rotation.
In one night, Brian Wright and the front office added a lot of potential answers to a rotation that felt too small in general and too fragile behind Wembanyama. And they did so without disturbing the foundation. Job well done.
By LJ Ellis, via SpursTalk