Ja'Kobi

Gillespie

As was the case in Thursday’s Vegas Summer League opener against the Hawks, Gillespie did a little bit of everything for the Spurs on Saturday. Given the Spurs’ existing perimeter depth, he’ll need to be a “jack of all trades” player to contribute early on. Already signed to a two-way contract, Gillespie is likely to spend the majority of his rookie season in the G League, but he may be worth holding onto in deeper dynasty leagues.

The Spurs added Gillespie with the 42nd pick in the draft last month, and while he may not be a rotation piece in year one, he has had a strong showing this summer. He has been effective as a scorer, facilitator and defender, which is encouraging to see out of an older rookie that is supposed to be more ready for NBA action. He’ll likely spend most of his first season in the G League, but if injuries force the Spurs to call him up, he’ll be ready to contribute.

The combination of his two-way contract and the Spurs being loaded on the perimeter makes it challenging for Gillespie to achieve fantasy relevance during his rookie season. However, he shot the ball quite well on Monday, making five of his nine three-point attempts. Gillespie also dished out six assists while committing two turnovers in what was an excellent conclusion to his California Classic. He’ll look to do more of the same in Las Vegas at the end of the week.

After two seasons at Belmont and one at Maryland, the 6-foot, 182-pound Gillespie transferred to Tennessee for his senior season. Appearing in 37 games, he averaged 18.4 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.8 three-pointers, shooting 41.0 percent from the field and 81.4 percent from the foul line. Gillespie’s speed and acumen helped him compensate for the lack of size, and that will need to remain the case at the next level. In San Antonio, his ability to defend will give him a chance to fight for minutes on the back end of the rotation. Gillespie may not offer much in redraft leagues, but he’s worth having on a roster in dynasty leagues.