Tarris Reed Jr. was not the first player the San Antonio Spurs drafted in 2026, but he's been by far the most impressive.

Jayden Quaintance, to his credit, has missed the summer with a lingering knee injury. When the Spurs picked him 20th overall, they knew he had a lengthy recovery ahead of him. His absence, though, has opened the door for Reed.

Behind Victor Wembanyama and Luke Kornet, Reed isn't expected to get an extended run in his rookie season, but he's already making the most of the chances he's been given. In San Antonio, he's looking forward to pushing opponents around.

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Reed spent his first two college seasons at Michigan before heading to UConn. In his four years, he missed out on a national title, but playing for blue-blood programs has instilled a team-first mindset that the Spuyrs relish.

"You know those guys have been coached hard, you know those guys understand roles, and typically, I think understanding roles is valuable for young players because a lot of times that may be putting the team agenda first," said Mitch Johnson of drafting former Huskies.

In college, Reed averaged 9.2 points per game and was never a big-time scorer. In the NBA, he doesn't expect his role to change, but he knows he can impact winning.

Dan Hurley, it seems, managed to squash any dreams of averaging 25 points. Instead, he should be able to stack championship rings.

"Everyone has the same goal in mind," Reed said of the Spurs. "It reminds me a lot of UConn, coming into a program where guys just want to win and know what's at stake, and everyone just holds each other accountable. I'm excited for this week; we got a preseason game this week and get the ball rolling"

Reed's new teammates have noticed his drive, too, and expect him to soak up knowledge like a sponge.

"He's been great," summed up Keldon Johnson. "He's been tremendous. He's been crashing the glass. Really good offensive rebounder. I was really surprised by how advanced he was offensively and his touch around the rim. I feel like it's been amazing for us. I'm just excited to see his development. I feel like he's a big fella in the middle. He's physical. He's tough. He sets good screens. He's everything you could want in a big man. I feel like him being able to play with Vic, learn from Vic, play with Luke, learn from Luke, it's going to be huge for his development."

Between Reed, Wembanyama, and Kornet, the Spurs have one of the deepest frontcourts in the NBA. Add in Dylan Harper, De'Aaron Fox, and Stephon Castle in the backcourt, and the Spurs are the NBA's most dangerous team.