While most eyes were on their other rookie, Carter Bryant had an impressive debut with the Spurs. Can he keep it up heading into next year?
The latest San Antonio Spur up for evaluation after last season's strong run to the NBA Finals is one of the newest members of the team.
Carter Bryant wrapped up his first year with the Spurs and made an impression in his professional debut. He hit the court for San Antonio in 71 of its regular-season affairs and played in all but one of its postseason matchups.
In those numerous outings, Bryant never recorded a start but became a reliable option off the bench. He averaged around four points, two and a half rebounds, and an assist in over 11 minutes per game.
As a rookie in the NBA, this amount of production is more than acceptable, especially for a 14th-overall pick like Bryant.
Despite the youth of the Spurs and the talent they have showcased, it is unfair to assume every one of their young members will immediately put up veteran-style numbers.
This cushion relieves pressure from Bryant from having to instantly become a franchise-defining addition that others in the same draft class had to bear, which can allow him to grow into the best version of himself at his pace.
Although this high volume of quality players on the Spurs could also be the biggest hindrance for Bryant moving forward, as there simply will not be enough minutes to go around for everyone capable of commanding the floor for San Antonio.
To be fair, San Antonio already faced this issue last season and managed it quite well, with one potential exception from a player who is linked to Bryant.
While Bryant was a solid rookie for the Spurs and has shown flashes of potential to be a core piece in San Antonio in years to come, his fellow first-year counterpart, Dylan Harper, eventually overshadowed him after a phenomenal finish to the season.
Harper's heroics reinforced an unfortunately high bar that was already set by back-to-back NBA Rookie of the Year winners in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle, which leaves Bryant in an awkward spot amongst his peers.
Granted, these cases are the exception and not the rule, and most seem impressed with the showing from Bryant, even if it was not to the same level as Harper, who spent most of his time on the bench and had to show his skills in the minutes shared primarily with De'Aaron Fox.
It may take Bryant longer to reach the headlining status of his counterpart in Harper, but for a San Antonio squad so focused on its youth, that may not be such a bad deal for either party in the long run.
FINAL GRADE: B, 2026 OUTLOOK: Part-Time Starter, Reliable Early Bench Contributor
