Jayden Quaintance has yet to play a single minute for the San Antonio Spurs, and yet, he’s already been bitten by the injury bug.
Of course, that was to be expected, as his college career was riddled with knee injuries, and the Spurs were well aware that he was not quite at one hundred percent.
Fans can look forward to watching 26th overall pick Tarris Reed Jr. play in the summer league later next month, although they’ll have to be patient with Quaintance.
Luckily, signs point to him being worth the wait. And what a wait it’ll be!
Spurs’ Draft Pick to Miss Six Months
Quaintance has never been the picture of health. He entered the NCAA in 2024, averaging 9.4 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in his freshman season with the Arizona Sundevils. He made the All-Big 12 Defensive Team, and transferred to Kentucky soon thereafter as a coveted portal pickup.
Thanks to ACL and meniscus tears, he would only play four games in Lexington before his college career was wrapped up. He was initially expected to be a top-ten pick in the 2026 draft, but with several question marks surrounding him, his draft stock tanked.
The Spurs are in a position to roll the dice on him and seem excited to see what he can do.
“He’s got tremendous, tremendous talent,” summed up general manager Brian Wright.
While he is a talented player, especially on defense, his recovery is no walk in the park. A torn ACL and meniscus are no joke, and careers have been ended by both injuries.
Luckily, Dr. Riley Williams (who rebuilt Paul George’s knee) thinks that Quaintance is one surgery away from total recovery. The catch? He’ll have to sit out for at least six months.
That means no summer league or training camp before his rookie season, and he would suit up, at best, in December, well after the season is underway.
Ideally, Quaintance will be a solid interior scorer who can rebound and protect the rim, allowing Victor Wembanyama to roam on both ends of the floor. Of course, all of that depends on his recovery. The Spurs, to their credit, did their due diligence and seem to think that he’ll be back in form sooner rather than later.
“Our doctors had spent some time, but we’ll get the people much smarter than us to take a look and come up with the best plan for him,” Wright added.
“The best plan” might mean surgery, or it might mean a natural recovery. During his season at ASU, he was the youngest college hooper in the country and was one of the best defenders. If that’s the raw potential the Spurs get, then it’s safe to say that they landed the steal of the draft.
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