The San Antonio Spurs picked Kentucky forward Jayden Quaintance with the 20th selection in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft on Tuesday night.
Quaintance, a 6 foot 10, 253 pound big man who turned 18 in July, brings size, length and defensive tools to the frontcourt. He played limited minutes at Kentucky after transferring from Arizona State, where he averaged 9.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 2.6 blocks per game as a freshman.
The Spurs view him as a long term project who can develop alongside Victor Wembanyama. Quaintance is recovering from a torn ACL and meniscus injury suffered earlier in his college career. He has expressed excitement about joining the team and its defensive identity.
San Antonio continued building its young core with the selection. Quaintance becomes one of the youngest players in the draft class and fits the Spurs focus on versatile, high upside frontcourt pieces.