Spurs rookie Jayden Quaintance will sit out the entire 2026 NBA Summer League with a knee injury but will travel with the team to San Francisco and Las Vegas.
The San Antonio Spurs will not have Jayden Quaintance play during 2026 NBA Summer League games as he continues to recover from a right knee injury.
While Quaintance will be sidelined, Summer League head coach Corliss Williamson confirmed the rookie big man will join the team in San Francisco and Las Vegas.
Williamson praised the leadership presence 18-year-old Quaintance has provided around the team during Summer League practices.
"He's here at every practice. He's engaged. Good young man. I like his talent and look forward to seeing him for some years," Williamson said.
The Spurs are taking their time with Quaintance because of his injury history. He tore his ACL and meniscus as a freshman at Arizona State, followed by undergoing ACL surgery in February 2025. His knee problems persisted at Kentucky, limiting him to just 4 games last season. Since swelling has been a persistent concern, he is likely to undergo another procedure to permanently stabilize the joint, and the team has indicated he may not be available to play in the NBA until around December. As a result, it's unclear if he will be ready for training camp in the fall.
Currently, Quaintance is a long-term development player. San Antonio has sufficient depth to manage his absence without significant difficulty. The Spurs re-signed Luke Kornet and acquired UConn center Tarris Reed Jr. in a draft-night trade, providing two big man options behind Victor Wembanyama while Quaintance recovers.
Spurs general manager Brian Wright emphasized adding size and defensive talent during the 2026 NBA Draft. The front office continues to view Quaintance as possessing significant defensive potential, but is not in a position to rush him into being a consequential contributor.
Quaintance is not the only player who will have to wait. Carter Bryant, the team's top prospect and a 2025 first-round pick who saw minutes during San Antonio's NBA Finals run, is not expected to play until they reach Las Vegas. As a result, he will skip the California Classic in San Francisco too. His delay shifts more early responsibilities to Reed, Tennessee guard Ja'Kobi Gillespie, and Duke forward Maliq Brown, the other rookies drafted to work with Williamson.
San Antonio will start the California Classic against Miami on Friday, July 3, at 7 p.m. CT at Chase Center in San Francisco. The Spurs will then move to the NBA 2K Summer League in Las Vegas the next week, where Bryant is anticipated to make his summer debut.
