Carter

Bryant

Bryant was added to the injury report with an illness Wednesday afternoon, but is ultimately active against the Lakers. The 20-year-old power forward had four points in eight minutes in Monday’s win over the Pelicans. He’s not worth rostering yet in most fantasy leagues.

Bryant is a late addition to the injury report, and if he is unavailable for the NBA Cup quarterfinal matchup, Keldon Johnson and Jeremy Sochan would each likely take on a few extra minutes. However, that won’t make much of an impact on the Spurs’ rotation.

Sochan played 22 minutes off the bench in his season debut on Wednesday. If he ends up missing this game against Houston, Carter Bryant return to the rotation, while Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie and Harrison Barnes should take on a few extra minutes.c

Sochan has yet to appear in a game this season, but there is a chance that this will change on Wednesday. While his absence does not impact the starting lineup, it does affect the Spurs’ bench rotation. Keldon Johnson has been the most reliable frontcourt reserve, with rookie Carter Bryant also picking up some minutes. Bryant could slip out of the rotation once Sochan is cleared to play.

After missing EuroBasket with a calf injury, Sochan has a sprained left wrist and will miss Wednesday’s opener. His absence means more opportunities for Julian Champagnie, Keldon Johnson and Carter Bryant, with the former having been a starter during the preseason. Champagnie should hold onto that role, as the Spurs are also without De’Aaron Fox, while Bryant boasts long-term upside, especially in dynasty leagues.

While the Spurs await the return of Dylan Harper from wrist surgery, he isn’t the only 2025 first-round pick on the roster. Bryant did not shoot the ball as well as in Monday’s win over Guangzhou, but the activity and defensive intensity remained. That’s the end of the floor where he’s likely to be most impactful as a rookie, with the offensive skill set still being a work in progress. Johnson may not be the most enticing late-round prospect in redraft leagues, but he’s a must-have in dynasty formats.

Carter’s momentum from the summer league carried through to Monday’s preseason debut, where he played hard, scored efficiently, and finished as one of the Spurs’ leading scorers. The 14th overall pick of the 2025 NBA Draft also logged a team-high in minutes on Monday. He didn’t shoot the ball well from beyond the arc, which wasn’t an issue during his lone season in college. His ability to knock down the three-point shot consistently could be one of the determining factors in how long he remains on the floor this upcoming season. Nevertheless, Bryant had a productive first preseason game.

Bryant has struggled with his shot throughout the summer. However, that is not surprising, given how his lone season at Arizona went — he only attempted 4.8 shots per game, making just 46 percent from the field. The offensive skill set is a work in progress, but the good news is that Bryant’s defensive ability and athleticism allow him to offer value in other ways. San Antonio has ample offensive weapons on their roster, which should afford Bryant the room needed to grow offensively at a measured pace.

Bryant struggled with his shot on Thursday, but that did not keep the rookie from providing value in other ways. The first-round pick recorded four “stocks,” and his on-court communication on both ends of the floor should not be overlooked. The hope is that fellow first-round pick Dylan Harper can play on Saturday after missing time with a groin injury. If he can go, San Antonio will have their first glimpse of Harper and Bryant on the court together.

Harper suffered a minor groin injury before the California Classic and did not play in San Antonio’s three games in San Francisco. While he will also miss Thursday’s opening game in Las Vegas against the 76ers, the second overall pick in last month’s draft will reportedly make his summer debut on Saturday against the Mavericks. Fans and fantasy managers have seen San Antonio’s other first-round pick, as Carter Bryant played in two of the team’s three games in San Francisco.