点击查看原文：5 things to know about Spurs rookie Carter Bryant out of Arizona
5 things to know about Spurs rookie Carter Bryant out of Arizona
Carter Bryant walks off the stage after being selected 14th by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
The much-hyped Dylan Harper grabbed all the fanfare when the San Antonio Spurs took him second overall in Wednesday night’s NBA draft.
But the Spurs also grabbed another intriguing freshman prospect with the No. 14 pick in Arizona’s Carter Bryant.
Here are five things to know about the second rookie drafted by the Spurs in the 2025 NBA draft:
1. Bryant may not get run on the San Antonio club right away
Bryant and Harper will surely be the focal point of the summer as both are expected to participate in the California Classic and NBA Summer League in July.
It’ll be the first time fans will get to see the rookies run together, and an excellent display from the athletic youngsters would certainly generate excitement to see them in the regular season.
Spurs fans might have to wait on that. Spurs rookies often make a stop in the G-League to gain more experience, and it’s likely that while Harper may get playing time with the main team immediately, Bryant could spend most of his time with the Austin Spurs for the first few months to add a little extra seasoning to his game.
To put Bryant’s youth into perspective, he mainly came off the bench at Arizona as a freshman, averaging 6.5 points and 19.5 minutes per game.
2. Bryant fills a big long-term need for the Spurs
There were questions leading up to the draft on how Harper would fit on the Spurs’ roster with ball-dominant guards De’Aaron Fox and Stephon Castle already on the team.
The Spurs decided that Harper’s potential was worth any issues of fit that could be worked out later.
Bryant, though, fills a big long-term need on the squad with his shooting prowess — he shot over 37% from deep on 105 attempts as a Wildcat — and reputation for solid defense.
He’s a “prototypical 3-and-D” player, ESPN analyst Bob Myers said during the draft. It’s the kind of mold the Spurs have been searching for since they traded Kawhi Leonard to Toronto in 2018.
Speaking of which…
3. Bryant says patterns his game after Kawhi Leonard
Like Leonard, Bryant comes to the Spurs as a draft pick with high potential but with work to do to become more well-rounded offensively.
In addition to the 3-and-D comparisons, Bryant emphasizes the tenacity he plays with, much like the six-time All-Star.
Bryant is the kind of player who is going to “show up” and “work his ass off,” he said.
The connections to Leonard go a little deeper as well. Leonard was a high school player at Martin Luther King High School in Riverside, Calif., while Bryant’s father, D’Cean, was an assistant coach there.
4. The Spurs love Bryant’s demeanor and character
In the post-first round news conference, Spurs general manager Brian Wright praised Bryant’s personality and attitude.
Wright described an encouraging blend of confidence and humility that Bryant possesses, qualities that will help him navigate the NBA at such a young age.
“You can tell that he knows he’s a good basketball player,” Wright said. “But he wants to be part of a group, he wants to be part of a team, he’s willing to sacrifice, he’s willing to work for it.”
5. Bryant harkens back to another former Spurs rookie from Arizona: Sean Elliott
The Bryant selection got the attention of another member of the Wildcats-to-Spurs pipeline.
Former Spurs player and current Spurs color analyst Sean Elliott came to the Spurs in 1987 with more collegiate accolades and a lot more experience than Bryant. But the two-time NBA All-Star was excited about the new Spurs rookie.
Wildcat to Spur - love to see it. Welcome to SA @ carterdbryant! #beardown #gospursgo
— Sean Elliott (@ seanelliott_32) June 26, 2025
Bryant comes to the Spurs with the size (6-foot-7 and 215 pounds) and skill set to make a difference at small forward, much like Elliott.